Three Days
by ddp456
Summary: Amidst a great tragedy, a bond is brought closer than ever before. Over the course of 3 days, many evils will arise to sever it. At the end, a sacrifice will be required, proving that true love does conquer all. Inspired by Valentine's Day and the rerelease of Majora's Mask. Thanks to Markmak for the cover. Please leave as many reviews/favs/etc as possible. Thanks again
1. Prologue

_"To the lovers out there that have met with a terrible fate..."_

* * *

**Prologue**

Wendy drifted in and out of consciousness as the sun's rays brushed against her eyelids. She opened her emerald eyes slowly; a stinging sensation went flowing to her temples, urging her to close them again.

A sense of nausea overcame the fifteen year old as she struggled to regain her eyesight. Peering out from a limited view, Wendy could easily see out that something was wrong with what was in front of her; everything seemed to be incredibly slanted.

"Ohh," she moaned, gently massaging the sides of her head with her index fingers, "What was all that about?"

A series of images flashed before Wendy's eyes. She remembered being picked up by her band of friends in Thompson's mom's van just as she had gotten off work. They cruised around the countryside in a search of adventure and excitement, goofing off and laughing all the way.

Suddenly, things started to go awry. A round of playful shoving in the back seats resulted in Thompson being accidentally elbowed in the back of the head. With him somewhat distracted, the oversized vehicle started to swerve, making everyone scream aloud and hang on for dear life.

*HONK! HONK!*

Their newfound trajectory placed the group straight smack in front of an approaching semi-truck, as it blared its horn wildly for them to get out of the way. The portly driver gritted his teeth nervously as he quickly griped the wheel and turned it in the opposite direction, taking the van out of harm's way.

Unfortunately, Thompson had overshot his turn by a huge margin. Before he had time to counteract, the van veered off the road completely. The left wheels caught on a small crevice on the side, making the huge automobile flip over on its side.

*CRASH!*

Wendy tried to open her eyes fully in spite of the painful effect the mere action had. She found herself still in Thompson's family van, strapped into one of the seats in the middle row. Strangely enough, no one else from her crew remained in the car with her, making Wendy wonder if the worse had happened and they were _thrown from the van_. The window to her left had been fully shattered, providing her with a close up of the hillside.

_"Well, not getting out that way…"_

The ginger winced once more, grabbing the side of her head, making her wonder if _she_ was the cause of the broken window. Every part of her body felt weakened, almost like it was pleading with her to go back to go back to sleep…

Wendy shook away the wooziness as she continued to explore her surroundings. The windshield had gained several cracks alongside its edges. The grassy knoll they had landed on top of pinned down the driver side door. The passenger side exit was left wide open, meaning that someone had recently used to escape.

In the distance, Wendy could make out several muffled voices arguing loudly.

"We have to go back for her!"

"She was out cold! If Wendy's hurt and we move her now, we can seriously mess her up! We gotta wait for the paramedics!"

"There's no time for…wait – _what is that_?"

A noxious aroma entered Wendy's nostrils, nearly driving her to the point of vomiting once more. Being a bit more awake, she recognized what the repugnant smell was.

"_Gas_…" she murmured to herself. Despite having a short history being a driver, Wendy knew that the combination of leaking fuel and an overturned, damaged car was anything but a good combination.

_"I've…I've got to get out of here!"_

Wendy went to unbuckle her seat belt, only to discover that the clasp refused to release. She grunted as she continuously pressed against the button to no prevail.

"You've got to be kidding me!" The slender girl tried her best to slither out from the restraints. However, Wendy couldn't slide out from beneath the shoulder and waist straps that held her in place. She went to call out for her friends to help, only to have the scream come out as a series of coughing jags. The fainting lightheadedness returned, making the girl fight in vain as her body tried to shut itself back down.

As her eyelids grew even heavier, Wendy could hear that the argument between her schoolmates had become a shouting match. The last of her energy had been sapped. Drifting in and out of consciousness, Wendy could make out a new voice from the crowd.

"Are you guys alright?" it asked sincerely. "Wait, wasn't Wendy with you? Where is she?!"

A struggle could be heard. In the darkness, she could make out that the voice came closer as it grew louder.

"How could you just leave her in there?! Let me go!"

"Wait, kid! Come back here! You're going to get yourself killed!"

A series of light tapping sounds made Wendy open her green eyes. As pain filled her entire being, her now-narrowed vision allowed her to see that her young friend and co-worker, Dipper Pines, was pounding on the window on her right. He tried to open the sliding side door, finding it to be sealed up tightly. With the last of her strength, the redhead offered a brave smile as she reached out towards her young admirer before she submitted to obscurity.

"Wendy! Hang on! I'm coming!"

In her dreamlike state, Wendy was bathed in a gentle, warm white light as she felt the sense of being lifted up from her earthly confines.

"It feels like…_am I dying_?"

A deafening crash echoed in her ears. The world changed to nothing but absolute black for what seemed like forever until the girl could sense someone or something caressing her freckled face. The simple touch stung like crazy.

*GASP!*

With a bound of new founded energy, Wendy sat up and seethed aloud as the pressure returned to her temples. Holding her head tightly, she opened her eyes to see that she was tucked firmly into a bed inside of a room covered in chalky paint. Wendy peeked beneath the covers to see that her trademark clothing and lumberjack boots had been replaced with a simple pallid gown and bare feet. A middle-aged woman donning a neatly pressed green outfit stood at her bedside with a startled expression.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. "Didn't mean to wake you up; your wounds needed to be cleansed…"

With the back of her head throbbing, Wendy let out another groan as she questioned the mysterious woman, "What happened? Where am I?"

She placed her hand against her chest, "Well, for starters, I'm your nurse, and you've been admitted into Gravity Falls General Hospital." The nurse moved her arm onto Wendy's shoulder, "I'm afraid you were involved in a really bad car accident."

"Car accident?" The last few moments replayed itself in a complete blur.

"Uh-huh. Luckily, you only suffered a minor concussion." The nurse marked off some sort of checklist attached to a clipboard in her other hand. "If I was to take a wild guess, I'd say you'd be well enough to be sent home today once the doctor gives you a quick look-over."

The memories finally provided a clearer picture. Wendy lounged forward, "Wait, what happened to everyone else? And Dipper? He was there, too, right? Is he alright?!"

The nurse set her clipboard down on the bed and eased the nerve-wrecked girl back tenderly, "It's okay! It's okay! All of your friends are safe, save for a few cuts and bruises. They were all dismissed earlier tonight."

A sly smirk spread across the woman's face, "And as for this "Dipper" of yours…" She moved to the side and used an arm to highlight a set of chairs placed against the far wall. Sure enough, Dipper Pines was fast asleep in the seat closest to Wendy's bed; the boy's forehead and right arm were wrapped in bandages. A long blanket was spread out over his minuscule body. The mysterious journal he carried around with him everywhere rested face down in his lap. "I'm going to guess that's him over there…"

Wendy opened her mouth, only to be interrupted by the nurse, "Before you ask, he's just fine. We had to fix up his hand a bit, but other than that…"

"I don't understand –" Wendy said, "How did he…"

"You don't remember?" The caregiver seemed surprised by Wendy's confusion. "_That little guy saved your life_. At least that what your friends said."

"What?!"

The nurse took a seat at the edge of Wendy's bed, "They stated that after the van flipped over, they were all able to get out, but you were left unconscious by the force of the crash. The driver called 911 and waited for the ambulance to come. Your friends were afraid that if they moved you, they'd risk hurting you moreso. A few minutes later, they noticed that the gas tank had ruptured, spilling fuel everywhere. All of a sudden, the other damaged parts of the van started to spark. They were afraid that it was going to explode any second…"

The sickening smell of gasoline became stuck in Wendy's nose again, even though she was miles away from the fateful scene. The nurse turned away from her and focused on the boy peacefully snoring in front of her. "That's when your guardian angel there stepped in. I guess he was out in the woods exploring when he heard the crash. He ran to see if everyone was okay and noticed your buddies standing in the middle of the road. They explained that you were still inside of the van, and he raced to your side, despite their best efforts to stop him…"

Wendy beamed at her friend as the nurse finished her story, "I guess the kid couldn't get the door open, so he grabbed a rock from the ground and smashed his way inside. Poor guy cut his hand pretty deep doing so. Anyways, he said your seat belt was jammed, so he pulled out his pocket-knife-thingie and cut you free. As soon as he pulled you out of the wreckage, it exploded, and sent you two flying!"

"Really?!"

"Oh, yeah. He earned himself a nice bump on the noggin and you got a few scratches on that pretty face yourself. Still, I'd say you two were pretty fortunate to get off so easily…"

"You're telling me…"

The nurse nodded along, "That little one refused to leave your side for a single moment. The other staff already sent him on his way two times, but he kept finding a way to sneak back in. Your father tossed him out when your family came to see you, but as soon as visiting hours ended and they left…"

Wendy giggled at the thought of Dipper's stubbornness, "My poor little dork…"

"I didn't have the heart to kick him out again, so I let him stay as long as he promised to behave himself. Still, miss, I'd say you're incredibly lucky to have _someone like that in your life_."

A sudden saddened change overcame the teenager, "Don't I know it…" It had been some time since the duo had talked about their feelings. It was after the battle with the sinister shape shifter in the hidden bunker that Dipper had finally (yet accidentally) made his feelings for the plucky high-schooler known. When everything was said and done, Wendy reinsured the overly anxious pre-teen that he was one of her best friends, and how much of a difference he had made in her life in the short time since they had met that summer. However, with a heavy heart, she had tried her best to explain to her partner in crime that there was too great of an age difference to be linked romantically. As she rode her bicycle into the distance, she knew that had help take a heavy burden off of Dipper's shoulders.

However, there was a sense of lingering left in her soul. _Something was different_.

Wendy did keep her promise to Dipper and continued their traditional bad-movie-night as well as accompanied him on the occasional paranormal adventure, but she had taken several precautions to prove her intentions right. She consulted the latest teen-magazines in how to avoid making eye contact without seeming suspicious. When Dipper started to wig out at Mabel's puppet show, Wendy kept her cool when he threw his arm around her and called her by somewhat-forced pet nicknames like "Red" and "Toots." She had told Mabel upon hearing the twelve-year-old's boy troubles to ignore the heartbreak, that "boys are the worst" and how she shouldn't get hung up on them. Even when captured by the Society of the Blind Eye, Wendy had almost let slip of how stressful life was with her biological family that she preferred spending time with her surrogate one.

She looked back at her slumbering hero and her smile quickly returned. For some reason, every time she saw him, her heart would melt as it made her think of _her first crush as a small girl rolling around town in her trusty big wheel._ But it wasn't the same thing she felt as she dated Robbie V. or any of the other boys she left behind as missed calls and ignored texts in her flip phone. To her, Dipper deserved better than that.

Wendy tried to shake away the doubts and mixed feelings. She asked herself why was everything coming apart at the seams right now? Sure, Dipper had saved her life, but it wasn't the first time it happened. He had rescued her from the demented ghosts at the haunted Dusk2Dawn convenience store the same way she protected him from the author's deadly experiment underground. She figured, "_Isn't that what best buds did for each other? Why is this time any different?_"

The downtrodden girl knew she had to face the facts: her uncertainty had nothing to do with Dipper coming to save the day yet again. This feeling wouldn't go away until she told him the truth – _even if she didn't exactly know what that truth was suppose to be._

Little did Wendy know that she was about to get her chance.

The nurse leaned over and lightly rubbed Dipper's shoulder, "You might want to get up, small fry. There's someone waiting to say "hi.""

Wendy went to protest as she needed more time to get her head together. However, it was already too late. Dipper's brown eyes flickered as he started to regain focus, "Huh…wha…?" His sights shifted from the kind-hearted nurse to behind her, where Wendy sat in bed and offered a small wave.

"WENDY!" Dipper jumped to his feet, knocking the blanket and journal to the tiled floor. He rushed towards his crush, only to force himself to stop in place, fearing he'd worsen her injuries. "Are you okay?!" He turned towards the nurse with a worried look on his face, "Is she going to be okay?!"

"Dude, relax!" Wendy eased her friend by sarcastically patting herself all over her body. "See? All in one piece!"

The nurse concluded, "She'll be just fine. Heck, with the doctor's say-so, she'll be able to go home tonight…"

"Oh, that's…" Dipper wiped away his brow, making his not-so-secret love question if he was getting teary-eyed, "That's great…really great to hear…"

The elder picked up her things, "I think I'll give you two some privacy. Just hit the button if you need anything."

Wendy thanked her and returned her attention to the concerned boy standing before her.

"Hey…" Dipper shyly greeted, nervously rubbing his hand against his shoulder, as he felt somewhat embarrassed about his overreaction a few minutes earlier.

"Hey, yourself…"

"How are you feeling?"

"Except for a splitting headache, I couldn't be better…_thanks to you_."

Dipper turned a bright shade of red. He chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Heh-heh! It was no big deal, really. You would have done the same for me…"

"You know it…"

A brief, yet awkward silence quickly filled the room, as Dipper and Wendy broke eye contact. He rubbed his sneaker against the linoleum floor, before breaking the silence, "You know what? I bet you're hungry, right? You gotta be starving!" The tiny sleuth started to make his way to the door, "I'm going to hit up the cafeteria and grab you something tasty along with a nice, ice-cold Pitt Cola to –"

Wendy called out after him, "Dipper, wait!"

Dipper froze in place and looked over his shoulder. Wendy brought her knees up to her chest and patted the empty spot next to her on the bed, "Come sit with me for a little while…"

"But I – "

_"Please?"_

Feeling his heartstrings being tugged, Dipper turned around and abided to her request. He hopped up on the white sheeted bed and met his companion face-to-face, "So," he asked, twitching his fingers, "What's up?"

He almost cried aloud as Wendy reached over and placed a pale hand on top of his, "I wanted to talk to you about a few things…"

Dipper assumed that she was still talking about the incident earlier, "Actually, Thompson already filled me in. He told me how he spun out of control when someone hit him in the back of the –"

"No, buddy," Wendy bit her lower lip as she squeezed his seized hand a bit tighter, "I wanted to talk about me and you – what we were talking about in the woods the other day…"

Dipper forced a shallow as a lump formed in his throat, "Maybe we shouldn't do this right now." He offered an encouraging smile, "You've just been through a ton of stuff and maybe we can wait –"

"Dipper, I don't think I can do this again," Wendy explained, "I need you to listen and hear me out, okay?"

Sensing the seriousness of Wendy's tone, Dipper simply shook his head, agreeing to give her his full and undivided attention. He could only hope that the new revelation wasn't anything else stressful.

Wendy looked up and took a deep breath, "Dipper, I – I wasn't exactly honest with you that day…"

Being struck unexpectedly, his brown eyes instantly widened, "I'm not following you…"

She turned away from her friend as he hung on every word, "Dip, I – I guess I kinda _lied_…"

Dipper found himself lost by her words, "_You lied_? About what?"

"I told you that I was too old for you – and yeah, that might be true, _but that doesn't mean that I don't care for you the same way you care for me_…"

He repeated Wendy's words in shock, "You…_care about me_?"

Wendy rotated back around and went into a tirade against herself, "I know that it seems stupid, but I don't know why I said what I did! There's like a million reasons why things would be great, but at the same time, there's another million why it would be the worst possible thing that we could ever do! Like there is the age thing –"

"Or the height difference?"

"Good point!"

"Not to mention what would we do when I have to back home for school?"

"Yeah!" Wendy pointed at him, "Stuff like that! People would talk and give us grief about it. It's not that I'm embarrassed of you, or what _we_ would be, it's just that…" She grunted and pulled her hair in exasperation, "Ugh! Why does this have to be so hard?!"

Wendy covered her face with her free hand as she struggled to find the right words to express her feelings. She peered out of the spaces in between her fingers as she felt Dipper tenderly press against her other hand.

"It's not that you'd be ashamed," Dipper guessed, "You couldn't stand it if someone took something you held dear to you and twisted it around to hurt you…"

"That's exactly –" Wendy raised an eyebrow to the boy wise beyond his years, "How did you know what I was trying to say?"

"Trust me, Wendy," Dipper admitted, "You're not the only one who ever thought about being put into that sort of situation."

"Huh…well, there's also the other thing…"

"What other thing?"

"Well," Wendy sat back against the pillow at her back side, "I meant what I said to you; if you were to ever stop being my friend – if you were to exit my life over something crazy or anything like that, I would throw myself into the Bottomless Pit without thinking twice."

"And the scary thing is that I know you would…"

"But, Dipper," Wendy narrated further, "I have this thing that happens with me and the guys in my life. One minute we're closer than ever, and the next, we're fighting like cats and dogs, and never want to speak to one another again, let alone be in the same room."

She raised the hand that she held tightly in her grasp as their eyes met, "That's probably the scariest thing about all of this, Dipper. _I never want you to be some guy that I'll never want to talk to again_!" Wendy let out an exhausted sigh as she lowered her head, "You're probably thinking that all of this sounds pretty dumb, doesn't it? Especially coming from someone who claims to be oh-so-mature, right?"

Dipper had a mixture of emotions flow within his little psyche. At long last, his gingered crush finally returned his feelings! However, he was left well-aware on how Wendy seemed to be torn up by all of the conflicts raging inside of her. Dipper decided it would be wise to hide his excitement and focus on whatever would be in his crush's best interests; he could tell by the troubled look on her dimpled face that Wendy needed a friend first and foremost above all things.

"Can I ask you something, Wendy?"

Wendy kept her head hung low, "Shoot…"

"You talked about all of these different things like what could go wrong, to what other people would think, to how you're afraid we'd end up…"

"What's your point?"

"My point is that instead of worrying about all of these other tidbits, I would want to know only one thing: _what is it that you want_?"

Wendy looked up at him, "What I want?"

"Yep," Dipper bobbed his head, "To me, the most important thing is knowing what would make Wendy – _my Wendy_ happy. So, what would?"

The lanky teen went silent for several moments, as Dipper's discomfort fester uncontrollably. After a minute or two, Wendy replied, making the unprepared lad jump in surprise, "What I want…the truth is, Dipper, _I don't know what the heck true love even is. But, I do want to hang out with you for basically the rest of my life._

"And that's just fine," he responded. "To be honest, that's what I would want to do, too."

"Really? You're not just saying that?"

Dipper shook his head, "Nope. I'd hate to admit this, Wendy, but this kinda stuff is all new to me, too. If you wanted, we could start there. We wouldn't care about what the rest of the world thinks."

Wendy added her own conditions, "We'd make our own rules as we go along and see where it takes us."

He forced himself to look Wendy in the eye in spite of his entire body trembling in fright, "As long – As long as we both are happy. _I can't promise that we'll be some great love story, and that's okay! I would love to see what kind of story we'll be!_ How does that sound?"

"I think it sounds – _great_!"

A sense of relief and pure excitement rushed over him as the duo had finally found common ground. Not sure on where to go next, Dipper asked, "Did you want to me to go find the doctor so we can get you out of here?"

"Hmm…" Wendy pondered, "Not just yet! First…"

Without warning, the ferocious redhead yanked her counterpart towards her, making him yelped out loud in surprise. Landing in Wendy's lap, Dipper looked up as Wendy held his cheeks firmly. Her cold hands provided a soothing relief to his sweaty skin.

"…I think you deserve one of these…"

The girl tucked herself downwards and delivered a sweetened, yet tender kiss on Dipper's lips. He pulled back in shock of his fantasies swiftly becoming reality.

"That's for getting me out of another jam, _my little hero_…"

A moment later, he nettled back and returned the favor as the two remained entwined for what seemed like an eternity; their special bond maturing into something new and beautiful. Wendy and Dipper drew away, only to lean forward into each other; their foreheads and noses touched, meeting with almost perfect precision.

"You don't know," Dipper confessed, "How happy I am that you're alright…"

"Sorry if I scared you…"

"Nah, not really…"

Wendy laughed softly in Dipper's face, "Liar…"

Both adolescents chuckled at the silliness of their own private joke.

"Y'know, I meant what I said in the bunker, too."

"And what's that?"

"_I love you, Wendy…"_

She hugged him as hard as she could without injuring Dipper's small frame. Wendy could make out Dipper's noodle arms wrapping around her shoulder blades.

"_I love you, too…"_


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 – The First Day**

The next morning, Dipper sat on the windowsill ledge of the Mystery Shack's Gift Shop as the sun rose past the Oregonian horizon. His twin sister Mabel busied around the various shelves alongside the Shack's loyal handyman, Soos. The owner of the dilapidated tourist trap, "Grunkle" Stan Pines, was busy going over the books for his beloved business at the counter. He looked up to see his nephew staring into the distance of the vast forest that surrounded their home.

"Hey, kid!" he beckoned, "What's your deal? _You gotta a hot date or something?_" The old man cruelly chuckled under his breath, prompting the metal-mouthed girl on the other side of the room to join in on the light-hearted fun.

"Heh-heh! Dipper on a hot date!" she scoffed.

The boy turned back around, awaiting the arrival of his so-what unofficial girlfriend; at least that he would like to be able to call her. It had been later the night before when Wendy had been discharged from the hospital. The doctor had suggested that she stay overnight, but the anxious redhead wouldn't hear of it. Tired of being cooped up in the small room (and sickened by the hospital food that Dipper had brought her), Wendy insisted that her family pick her up as soon as humanly possible.

Before they parted ways, Wendy asked Dipper if he wouldn't mind keeping her company while running a few errands in town the next morning. He happily agreed, yet asked it was wise to be up and about after everything that had just happened. A smile spread across her freckled face as Wendy gave the worried pre-teen a calming kiss on the cheek alongside a gentle punch on his shoulder for equal measure.

_"Dork…"_

By the time Dipper came back home, everyone was already asleep, being him alone in his joyous news. A shade of doubt had entered his mind: his family didn't believe him when he spotted ghosts, goblins, and other oddities out in the strange town, so why would they believe him over _this_? He decided to wait for the best way to explain to them what had happened, rather than to rush in bragging all the way.

Dipper let out a relieved sigh as he saw Wendy pull up on her red bicycle. She removed her helmet and parked her ride against the side of the cabin. Aside from a few bandages placed here and there, the limber ginger seemed to be in fit condition. As Wendy was about to open the side door to the Gift Shop, Dipper immediately turned around, making it seem as if he wasn't waiting in nervous anticipation.

The tiny bell stationed above the gift shop door rang as Wendy walked into the Shack, "Hey, everybody!"

"WENDY!" Mabel and Soos exclaimed, the former rushing to her front and embracing her in a bear hug, making the still-sore teenager groan slightly. Stan looked up from his activities to pay a slight acknowledgement before returning his attention to the task at hand.

Mabel stepped back as Wendy turned her sights to Dipper at her left side, "Hey, you…" she blissfully greeted,

"Hi, there!" he feigned his over-protectiveness. "Wow! I didn't know you were already here…"

Wendy crossed her arms and gave Dipper a condescending look, "Dude, you do know I could see you in the window, right?"

"Err…How you feeling?"

She rotated her overly tense shoulders as she replied sarcastically, "Like I was in a car accident…" Dipper let out a nervous chuckle, being left unsure how exactly to react to her joke. Seeing his confusion, Wendy calmed his worries with a swift kiss on his birth-marked forehead, "Relax, short stuff. I was just kidding…"

"Ha…I knew that!"

"I'm sure you did…" Wendy reached out and offered her hand, "Ready to go?"

With a hint of hesitation, that bit by bit, fantasy was finally becoming reality, Dipper carefully placed his hand into hers, "Yeah…Yeah, I am…"

Hand in hand, the adolescents turned around, only to see that _all eyes in the room were focused on them._ Mabel and Soos gave off an excited beam, as they looked back and forth at each other with fangirlish glee, quietly squealing elatedly. Even Stan had noticed the change between the two, as a tiny grin started to form, _"The kid actually pulled it off…I can't believe it…"_

The feeling stemming from being gawked at started to rub Wendy the wrong way. "What?!" she asked, "What are you guys looking at?"

After being chastised, the three returned to normal, pretending if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Grunkle Stan honored her request, shuffling his papers, and adjusting his glasses upon his head, "Well, then. Glad to see you're alright, but I hate to break it to you, little missy, but you're not going anywhere! You have a shift today, so get to it, pronto!"

Wendy reached into her flannel shirt, "'Fraid not, Mr. Pines!" She pulled out a thin, folded piece of paper and handed it to her employer. "The doctor gave me a note that excuses me from any "strenuous work" for the next day or two…" She flashed a smirk to Dipper, who returned the gesture, "So, it looks like I get the day off!"

"WHAT?!" Stan opened the letter, and held it up to his face for closer inspection, "Let's see here…yadda, yadda, "well-being," blah-blah, "minimum stress…"" He raised his head from the note, and crushed the doctor's orders into a small ball as he mumbled under his breath, "Darn FDA…trying to muscle in on my cheap labor…"

Seeing that she was victorious, Wendy gently on Dipper's arm, dragging him out the door, "Now that's settled, we'll see you guys later!"

"BYE, WENDY! BYE, DIPPER!" Mabel and Soos shouted, waving good-bye. They watched from inside as Dipper climbed on top of the handlebars of Wendy's bike, where he was given an extra helmet had she had brought from home. Safely secured, the two rode off towards town. The split second they disappeared from view, their friends exploded in celebration, "YAY!"

Soos and Mabel danced around in a circle as they continued to rejoice, "THEY DID IT! THEY DID IT! THEY DID IT! GO DIPPER! GO WENDY! GO WIPPER! GO WENDIP! GO –"

"Alright, already!" Stan interrupted. "Jeez, they haven't been gone five minutes, and you two are already making up tasteless, buzz-worthy nicknames!" The elder lowered his head and pinched his nose in annoyance, "Now, get back to work!"

Mabel darted towards the counter, "Not so fast, Grunkle Stan! We still have business to attend to!"

Once again, the old man was forced to put down his work, "Eh?"

The tiny pixie raised her hand to her chin as she started to reminiscence, "I recall making a "gentleman's wager" with you about _a certain couple that we all know and love_. I believe the deal was if they got together before the end of summer that I would win an undisclosed amount…"

Grunkle Stan pulled at his collar, as the mention of losing money made beads of sweat form on his wrinkled brow, "I…ah…huh…haven't the foggiest idea what you're –"

Not to be deterred, Mabel stuck an open palm outwards, "C'mon, Grunkle Stan! A deal's a deal…"

Knowing that he was beat, the proprietor let out a series of swears under his breath as he dug deep into his pockets, "Dang nephew…costing me a small fortune…trying to find true love…hmph!" He opened his hand and let a pile of crumbled dollar bills into his niece's hand.

"Thank you!" Mabel spun around on her heels, counting her money as she retreated towards the family room. Stan returned to his paperwork, only to have his vision blocked by a humungous shadow. He raised his sights to see Soos standing before him with his hand extended. Stan let out a defeated sigh as he went back into his pockets.

"Sorry, dude," Soos expressed pity for his boss, "But I couldn't miss out on it! It was a pretty sweet bet!"

* * *

Upon arriving on Main Street, Dipper hopped off the front of Wendy's bike as she quickly secured it to the nearest sturdy light post with a chain and padlock. The duo removed their headgear and walked in tandem down the street.

"Sorry about this, Dip," Wendy apologized, glancing down at the boy at her side, "I was supposed to do all of my running around yesterday, but you know –"

"Hey," Dipper shooed the concern away, "I don't mind it one bit, as long as I get to hang with –"

Wendy had reached down and clutched his hand tightly within her own, leaving the boy stunned. Dipper looked up in astonishment at the redhead, amazed by the simple act of tenderness. After a few moments of unusual silence, Wendy noticed that he was eerily staring into space.

"Dipper? Dipper? Earth calling Space Cadet Dipper! Come in, Dipper!"

"Huh?!"

"Everything alright down there?"

"Oh…yeah…" His brown eyes shot over to their conjoined hands, "It's…just…um…I wasn't expecting…"

"Oh!" Her eyebrows raised; she had forgotten that some aspects of _this part of life_ were still brand new to him. Wendy lifted their arms upwards, "You're okay with this, right? It's not weirding you out or anything?"

"Weirding me out?!" Dipper forced a few chuckles, "Never! It's just that you surprised me!" He saw her face crunch a bit at his answer, _"…a great surprise_…"

Wendy returned her sights to the road ahead of them, "Good…"

As they continued on hand-to-hand, Dipper's paranoia suddenly hit an all-time high. Traversing between the various pit-stops, it felt as if _the whole world_ was staring at the unlikely couple. As Wendy checked out her bag-full of groceries (amongst other oddities), he could make the whispers of an elderly couple across the way:

"Look at those young'uns over there," the old man pointed out, "That lass is WAY too big to be consorting with that little shrimp…"

Dipper started to frown, until a shrill voice argued back, "You hush your mouth, Franklin! They look adorable together!" The hunched-over woman at his side gave him a gentle elbow to his ribs, "Besides, when we were in our schoolyard days, I towered over you, and yet we still –"

"Martha, hush!" he pleaded, raising an index finger to his lips, "You promised you'd never mention that in public…" The old-timers walked away as a sense of relief flowed through Dipper. Noticing the more-relaxed change in his demeanor, Wendy beamed down upon her partner in crime as she passed him a bag, reclaiming his hand with her free one.

"Ready to head out?"

Exiting the shop, Dipper and Wendy turned back into the street, where his heart rushed back into his throat. Across the way, the meager Gravity Falls Police Force, made up of Deputy Durland and Sheriff Blubs, were busy ticketing a poor soul for parking their vehicle too close to a fire hydrant.

Dipper took a large gulp as a non-suspecting Wendy dragged him closer to the ever-looming threat. The pre-teen could easily recall all of the times that the officers that instigated a fight, taunting him with such insults as "City Boy."

"Not even a day together," Dipper dreaded, "And Wendy's gonna have to watch these jerks try to get under my skin!" His imagination raced to the worse possible scenario, making him want to bite his nails in distress, "What if they drag her into it? Or if she tried to fight back?" He shuddered at the thought of Wendy defending his honor, only to be dragged downtown by the two crooked cops.

The adolescents went on their way until Dipper heard a low-pitched shout, "Hey Blubs, look!"

He turned his head to see Durland whispering to his superior while pointing straight at him. Dipper waited in agony for the Sheriff's response, only to find himself surprised. The shorten official looked up at the couple, tilted his hat slightly with his index finger, and gave a nod of approval along with a thinning smile.

The reprieve made the twelve year old's stomach quake in tenseness.

"Oooh!" Wendy teased, poking Dipper in the gut, "Somebody's tummy's rumbling. Did you eat this morning?"

"Ha…kinda…"

She rubbed her stomach hereafter, "Yeah, to be honest, the last time I ate was last night with that awful hospital food." The ginger gestured across the street. "Tell ya what: how about after this last stop, you and I stop at Greasy's Diner and grab a quick snack?"

"That…That would be great!"

"Glad to hear it!"

Unaware to the couple, a shadowy figure that been watching them from afar. "I can't believe it!" he bemoaned from within his long hood, "_They're actually going out together_!" As they went into the last shop, he turned around and walked away with a new agenda.

"Wait until I tell the others about this…"

* * *

After an afternoon of shopping, Dipper and Wendy walked into Greasy's Diner. They chose two of the spinning seats at the front counter, leaving the teenager's bags at their feet. A moment later, the owner of the eatery, Lazy Susan, eagerly approached them with pen and paper ready.

"Hi, there, kids!" the stout-hearted woman croaked, "What'll be?"

"Extra-Large Chili Cheese Fries with double chili!" they both exclaimed at the same time. The team laughed aloud as Dipper finished the order, "And two Pitt Colas to wash it down with, please!"

"Coming right up!" The proprietor walked into the back to get their order going.

"Man," Wendy eagerly rubbed her hands together, "I can't wait! Junk food, at long last!"

"Good thing we ordered extra, huh?"

"Pfft! If you can get to it before I do!"

"What?! No way you can scarf all of that down without making yourself sick!"

Wendy scooted down, her tiny nose meeting his redden, moist one, "Wanna bet, handsome?"

They laughed at their private joke as Lazy Susan returned with their beverages, taking care not to disturb the happy scene before her. All of a sudden, a group of familiar voices could be heard overhead:

"Yeah, I see what you're talking about, man!"

"It just seems so weird!"

"What is she thinking?!"

Wendy's ears perked at the sound, as a tooth-filled grin stretched across her freckled face, "Hey, it's the guys!"

The pair spun around to see her teenaged posse, Lee, Tambry, Nate, Thompson, and Robbie V., squeezed into a center booth. As usual, Tambry had her face buried away behind her cell phone as she mindlessly texted away to her countless contacts. Lee and Nate casually conversed with each other, as Robbie sat in the corner sat with his arms crossed together with a smug look of satisfaction. On the opposite end, Thompson was slumped against the table with an allusion of guilt about him.

Wendy stood at the front of the table with Dipper at her side, "What up, guys?"

The teenagers went about their regular business without acknowledging her presence.

"Didn't ya hear me? I said what's up?!"

Still, the entire group ignored the welcoming fifteen-year-old. Dipper noticed that the only change amid the band was a devilish smile slowly broadening across Robbie's face.

Confused by the silent treatment, Wendy put her left hand on her lips, "What's the deal? Are you guys ticked off or something?"

Without looking at her, Tambry answered, "What do you think?"

"I don't know?! Can we stop with the games, and just tell me what's wrong?!"

Keeping her eyes plastered on her phone, she extended her arm to address their gripe, "_This!"_ She highlighted Dipper's and Wendy's entwined hands, making the two separate. They each turned away and rubbed their shoulders in anxiety.

"Don't get me wrong, Wendy," Tambry explained further, "I'm not Robbie's biggest fan. In fact, I honestly thought you could do a million times better…"

The goth flashed a sour-puss frown at the purpled-hair punk rocker.

"…but this thing you've got going on with _him_ is totally messed up! Is this why you broke up with Robbie?"

"What are you doing, Wendy?" Lee asked, finally twisting over to acknowledge his friend, "I mean, Dr. Funtimes is a cool guy to hang out with, but _dating him_?!"

"Wait a minute!" Dipper fought back. "What – "

"Dipper, please…" Wendy held up a hand, "_I've_ got this, okay?"

He remained silent, not wishing to further anger his beau. His eyes focused on his gothic rival as the slimming teen seemed to watch Wendy dispute her case with great pleasure.

"What?! How did you know I was – that we were…"

Nate shrugged his shoulder in the opposite direction, "Robbie saw you guys earlier…" The goth played innocent, rolling his eyes the other way and whistling to himself. "I mean, c'mon, Wendy! Don't cha think that this is just a bit creepy?"

"It's not creepy!" Wendy shot back. "I don't understand why this is a big deal! I mean, no one's ever cared who've I dated before!"

"Because we're your friends, Wendy…" Tambry quipped, holding up her phone. "_And once the world finds out about this, the 'net will be in an uproar!"_

"And people are definitely going to talk about this…" Lee added.

"Yeah, Wen," Nate piled on, "_He's just a kid_! You didn't really expect everybody to just up and accept this, did you?"

Wendy crossed her arms in defiance, "Yeah, I kinda did! And let people talk!" She flashed a sly grin, "After all, I still hang out with you guys in spite of all the crap I get from it…"

Dipper covered his mouth to hide his laughter as the high-schoolers continued on,

"You can't joke your way outta this! This is majorly serious!"

"We're being honest with you, Wendy!"

"And we don't think we can deal with this; it's just too _bizarre_!"

"What are you guys…?" Wendy's tone turned earnest. "Are you saying that we…_we can't hang out anymore if I stay with Dipper?"_

The three debaters returned their attentions to each other, letting their stillness be their defining answer. Robbie simply sat peacefully, watching his simple gesture of vengeance snowball out of control. Thompson remained quiet throughout the whole interrogation.

"You guys can't be serious! You're really not going to have my back on this one?! And Thompson," Wendy called out. "You feel the same way?"

At long last, the portly teen looked up at his friend, itching the side of his head nervously, "I…Wendy…I mean, you guys do look like a pretty cute coup – "

The stern, hard looks from across the table made the boy quickly change his opinion, "Err…never mind…" He placed his head down against the table.

Left without anything else to say, Wendy turned away from the assembly, her emerald eyes glaring down harshly at her former childhood friends. She looked down at Dipper, who noticed the immediate change. The shining stars fell from her eyes as Wendy lowered her head in defeat.

Lazy Susan rang the serving bell before dropping their snack at their seats, "Food!"

"Come on, Dip…" the lumberjack princess shuffled her feet past him, "Let's get out of here; we'll take our order to go…"

"But…"

Wendy continued towards the exit as Dipper looked back at the group. As if they hadn't broken his main squeeze's heart, they went on conversing with each other like normal.

"Hey, somebody had to be straight up with her. It might as well as been us…"

"It stinks, but it's for the best. She's gotta to bounce back from this super-eerie-rebound thing she's got going on…"

"Yeah, who would have thought? Deep down, _Wendy was some kind of wacked-up pedoph –_ "

Before the word could be uttered, Dipper saw pure red. He banged his fists loudly on their tables, spilling the various drinks all over the places.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

"What do ya think you're doing, kid?"

"Have you gone loco?"

"Have you?" Dipper questioned back. "How dare you talk about _her_ that way! You guys are supposed to be her friends! And this is how you treat her?"

"Well, it's not like we're enjoying it!"

"We're trying to stop her from making a terrible mistake!"

"And _I'm the mistake_?!" Dipper threw a hand against his chest. "Tell me," he used it to point across the table at Robbie V. "Where were you guys when Wendy was dating "Mascara Boy" over there?"

The pseudo-musician broke his solitude, "Watch it, you little snot!"

"You guys are smart enough to realize that he's playing you like a fiddle, right?" Dipper explained. "_This_ isn't about Wendy and me! _This_ is because I showed Wendy how much of a lying sleaze _he really is_, which led to their break-up!" He folded his arms as he shot Robbie a nasty glare, "Just when I thought you couldn't sink any lower; thanks for proving me wrong…_again_!"

In a fit of rage, Robbie lunged across the table with a wimpy cry, making Dipper flinch in reflex. Lee and Nate held the squirming, cussing teenager back, eventually forcing him into his seat.

"You see?!"

Finally annoyed by the confrontation, Tambry sighed out loud before putting her smart phone down on the table, "Regardless of what happened between Wendy and Robbie, that still doesn't excuse the problems with _you_!"

"And what problems are those?"

"Oh, come off it!" Lee spoke up, "Wendy's way too old for you, since you're only like what, ten?!"

Dipper rolled his eyes at their ignorance, "…Twelve…"

"So, yeah! Three years older! Not even in high school!" The other teens nodded along in agreement. "That's a huge difference, especially when considering the "creep" factor!"

"For one," Dipper defended himself, "By the end of the summer, it's only going to be a two year difference…" he demonstrated by holding up two fingers, "…and two, _it makes it the same difference as between you guys_…"

The teens looked at each other in bewilderment, before returning their attention to Dipper. Nate was the first to question him, "How would you – you don't know what you're talking about…"

"Really?" Dipper closed his eyes as he started to recall, "Wendy is fifteen, meaning she's too young to get her driver's license. I know for a fact that Thompson and Robbie can drive without parent supervision and at night, meaning that _you are obviously not all the same age or in the same grade_…" He flashed a confident smile, "and yet, the world doesn't seem to explode at this mixture, does it?"

Every mouth at the table seemed to drop open at the same time. Lee leaned over and whispered in Tambry's ear, not daring to take his eyes off of Dipper, "_Dude, she wasn't kidding. He's really like a genius or something…_"

Despite retaining a serious look, Dipper was melting away on the inside, "I can't believe it! Wendy actually called me a genius!" He shook his head, tucking away the prideful feeling as the teens began to dispute once more.

"Even so…" Nate led, "There's a huge difference in the maturity levels here!" The tattooed boy proudly pointed a thumb back at himself, "We're gotten into things that you can't even imagine!"

"And you think that makes you more mature than me?" He lowered his eyes in disbelief, "Tell you what? Raise your hand if you haven't gone gratifying as a good time, or raided the G.F.P.D. supply closet just to get a rise out of people?"

Only the pint-size detective held his hand up high as all other parties had a guilty expression across their faces.

"That's what I thought…"

"But that's what people our age do! Sometimes, things get crazy and, you know –"

"And that's cool! Heck," Dipper admitted, "Wendy and I have been through extreme stuff together, too, but that's my point. All of these things that you guys are complaining about are nothing but pure and utter _malarkey_!"

He put his weight on the edge of the table, "Look," his voice became more serious, "I care about Wendy, and want whatever will make her happy." Dipper turned his hand to an open palm and tipped it towards Robbie again, "That's why I tried to keep my yap shut in front of her when they were going out, …" His sights aimed back at the whole group, "It's just plain…_stupid_…if everything between you guys is ruined because of this!"

A dismal calm spread throughout the bunch as they reflected upon the boy's words. Robbie jumped up with a disgusted look, "I can't believe _we're_ standing for this! He's calling _us_ stupid! Fancy words shouldn't change anything! Besides, after everything's said and done, he's just some dweeb who doesn't know what he's talking about!"

Feeling that the disagreement was just about to teeter over, Dipper readied his trump card, "Y'know, one of the things I love most about Wendy is that she always seems to accept and _even forgive_ others in spite of their differences _and_ their faults. It's screwed up that you guys wouldn't even consider doing the same for her…"

The over-the-top lad plucked his blue vest the same way an overconfident lawyer would to their suspenders during a closing argument, "After all, it isn't like…" Dipper aimed his stare firmly at the gothic teen, "…_that Wendy lied to you and deceived you at every possible turn_, or…" He went back to focus on the rest of the motley crew, "…_that she turned chicken and left you to die in a wreck_…"

The other four were blown away by Dipper's accusation as a series of gasps and "Whoa's" could be heard. "Don't you think that was a bit of a low-blow there, kid?" Nate said with anger in his voice.

"Yeah…" he responded, before he shrugged his shoulders, "Well, now you know _how she feels_…"

The pint-size detective spun around on his heels, leaving the guilt-ridden teenagers behind him, "And _now_, I'm ready to go–"

Wendy was nowhere to be seen. Her bags had disappeared from their resting place between her seat. She had already left the Diner.

The pride and anger that filled him had speedily fled his shorten form as he realized what happened. Despite his best intentions, the lanky redhead was possibly angered by him causing a ruckus in her name. _"Oh, man! What did I do?!"_

Lazy Susan held out her arm from behind the counter. "Here you go, sweetie!" She gave Dipper a doggie bag with their order, "I think you'll be needing this!"

Dipper reached into his pocket, filled out a handful of dollar bills, and placed them on the counter. "Thanks again!" he shouted in a rush, grabbing the food, and racing out the door.

He raced across the street, looking high and low on both ends for his sweetheart. "Did she already leave?" Although it meant that he was probably faced a long, walk home, Dipper figured that he deserved it for going overboard and letting his temper get the best of him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Wendy at the corner of the opposite side of the street. With her back to him, she was undoing the chain from her bike. The tween rushed as fast as his stubby legs could carry him, until he was a short distance away. Dipper took a few careful steps behind Wendy as she continued to remove the lock.

"Hey…"

She paused for a moment, only to return to her current task at hand.

"Hey…" Wendy replied dryly.

"Listen, I…I didn't mean…I'm sorr-…I…"

Dipper raised the bag of leftovers upwards, "I got our food…"

Every passing second of intimidating silence only left him more unnerved, "Say something…_please_?"

Without turning around, Wendy held out her arm, offering Dipper his helmet, "Let's just go home, okay?"

After a brief pause, he sadly took the headgear and threw it on. As Wendy steadied herself on the red bicycle, Dipper hoisted himself back between her handlebars, never daring to look behind him once. The couple flew through the Gravity Falls Forest for the second time that day; however, the change in pitch a huge difference from the adventurous one they shared earlier that afternoon.

Dipper couldn't shake the haunting feeling eating away at him like déjà vu. "_This is just like what happened with Robbie at Lookout Point…_"

Upon reaching the Mystery Shack, Wendy gently came to a complete stop, allowing Dipper a safe passage to dismount. He hopped down, and before he turned around, the girl was already tip-toeing her way back home with the bike between her legs.

"WAIT!"

Wendy dragged her heels back, slowing herself down.

"Wait, I don't wanna leave things like this!" Dipper chased after her, "You're furious with me, and I'm sorry, Wendy! I really am! But, I hated seeing you like that! They turned on you because of _me_, and I just couldn't stand it!"

The ginger's shoulders lowered as she continued to listen to his reasoning. She pulled back the kick-stand of her bike with the toe of her boot.

"It's just like what we were talking about back in your hospital room. I've been there, Wendy! I kinda know what it feels like when someone holds something special against you. But, I'm not excusing what I did…"

Wendy peeked over her shoulder to see that Dipper was no longer looking up at her, rather than lowered his eyes to the grassy floor in humiliation.

"…I know I embarrassed you, but…I don't know. Part of me thought that if everything was the complete opposite, you would do anything that you could to try to make it right. Guess it was a stupid thought, huh?"

Without noticing that she was staring right at him, Dipper started to make his way back to his great-uncle's home.

"I get it. I understand if you hate my guts now, and want to call this whole thing off. I just…I just wanted you to know that before you go –"

A tender hand reached for his shoulder, instantly quieting his babbling.

"I was embarrassed, dork," Wendy admitted, as Dipper turned around to meet her, "_But not of you_…" A worn look on her dimpled face, she knelt down to see him eye-to-eye. "I'm not mad at you in the least. If anything, I just can't believe they said all of that, _especially in front of you_!"

"I've been told worse, Wendy. It's not a big deal…"

"Well, it's a big deal to me!" She raised an eyebrow as she quoted Dipper, "It's just like you said: "_if everything was the complete opposite, you would do anything that you could to try to make it right…"_

"And I would have!"

"Good to hear, champ…"

"So, you're really not ticked-off with me?"

She shook her head decisively.

Dipper started to calm himself as Wendy stood back up. A curious motion stuck in her thoughts.

"Just one thing, Dipper…"

"Hmm?"

"That thing you mentioned a second ago; about "_when someone holds something special against you?"_ What's that all about?"

Realizing that he might have said a bit too much, Dipper let out an edgy twitter, "I'm…I'm not sure that…"

Wendy teasingly poked his stomach with her index finger, "Spill it, mister!"

"Well," Dipper rubbed his sneakers against the soft earth, "You remember that night of the Mystery Shack Dance about at the beginning of the summer?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Anyways, I spent the whole night trying to…" Dipper scrunched up his face as he forced himself to spit out the awful truth, "…to ask you to dance with me…"

From within his self-imposed darkness, he could hear Wendy sincerely ask, "So why didn't you?"

He opened her eyes to see her looking down on him with a confused expression. "Because…I was afraid. Robbie was there, and I thought he was going to make fun of me…_of us_. So, _I did a bunch of crazy stuff _to try to get him out of the way, so it could be just me and you. But when it came down to it, I…I still chickened out. I don't know why, but because I was terrified, I missed out on something great that night that I can never get back…"

He glimpsed up at Wendy with a hint of solemnity, "I never want you to feel that way - especially because of me…"

Dipper's confession triggered an idea in Wendy's head, "Tell you what, Dipper. I want you to do me a favor…"

His suspicious nature started to flare up, "And what's that?"

"Tonight," Wendy detailed, "I want you to meet me at Lookout Point at sunset …"

"Why there?" he asked, taking in consideration the awful history they both had with that part of town.

"Just because," she teased, knowing that the young detective would be driven livid by not knowing every possible detail, "Aaannnddd…you have to dress up…"

"But why?"

"You'll see…" Wendy leapt back on her bicycle and peddled into the distance, "See you later! And don't be late!"

* * *

Later that night, Dipper came back from a short trek into the woods. It had taken him a few hours, but he entered the family entrance of the Mystery Shack, with his proposed treasure in hand. His twin sister had been waiting in her great-uncle's recliner for her sibling to return home.

"Where have you been?" Mabel chastised, hopping off of the chair, "Did you forget you were suppose to meet Wendy tonight?"

"Of course I didn't – wait a sec!" Dipper lowered his brow, "How the heck did you know about that?"

"Wendy called me," the metal-mouthed girl bragged, "I'm officially in charge of making sure you look your best for her!"

"That's great…that's really great…" he mumbled as he raced upstairs. A few moments later, Dipper returned, carrying a handful of supplies.

"What are you doing?"

Dipper's voice faded as he hurried into the kitchen, "I'm trying to make something really fast, and then, I swear, I'll get ready."

"Fine…"

Mabel could hear him making an unearthly amount of noise. Pots and pans collided. The squeaky hinges of the oven screeched back and forth. The second she heard the stove door shut, the pitter-patter of tiny feet could be heard coming closer.

Dipper raced pass Mabel, "I'm going! I'm going!" Three minutes later, Dipper stormed down the old-ricketty stairs, dressed in his neatest navy blue vest, orange t-shirt, and gray short pants.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Mabel held up her hands, blocking her brother from going any further. "Where do you think you're going dressed like that?"

He overlooked his current appearance, "What? What's wrong with how I look? This is the cleanest outfit I have!"

"D'oy!" Mabel gave him a love-tap against the side of his head, "You're not dressed up at all! Heck, you didn't even shower! You're going to go to her all stinky and yucky-like?"

"Oh, come on, Mabel! Wendy'll care less about…"

She pushed her slightly-younger brother back up the stairs, "Get back up there, mister! I made a promise to Wendy! You're not leaving this house like that!"

"But, Mabel!"

Dipper was roughly shoved into the bathroom. Regaining his balance, he went to go for the doorknob, only to find that his twin held it tightly from the other side.

"Nice try, but the only way you're getting outta there is through a nice, hot shower!"

Defeated, Dipper grumbled as he shed his casual wear and stepped into the tub. He fiddled with the old-time faucet, only to cry out loud as the various temperatures of water struck him like lightning.

"AAAHHHH! HOT! HOT! HOT! COLD! COLD! COLD!"

"Tough it out, Dip!" Mabel encouraged, "I'll be back in a sec with something nice for you to wear…."

Soaking wet, Dipper called out, hoping his sister would hear him over the running water, "No monkey-suits, okay?!"

* * *

The moon hung high amiss the countless shining stars, providing amble light to Dipper as he sped away in one of the Mystery Shack's carts. After the huge hassle with his sister, he ended up donning a soft black, button-down long sleeved shirt, alongside matching black slacks, and dark dress socks and soft-soled loafers. With Mabel waiting at the door, with Mystery Cart key in hand, Dipper had to turn back around as the commotion made him forget Wendy's gift in the oven.

"I hope she's not too mad…" he considered as he went up the winding road leading to their rendezvous. The twelve-year old parked his ride alongside the broken rail (that his Grunkle Stan had wrecked during their last visit there).

He stepped out of the cart and looked over the edge of the cliff, admiring the beautiful view of the small town from his distance. Dipper's eyes shot around the area, searching for any sign of his date. "Maybe she's not here yet…"

As he stepped into the grass, his imagination began to recall the horrid scene that played out only weeks earlier. He remembered how the triumphant victory over Robbie V. quickly shifted to one of absolute regret, as the youngster accidentally broke Wendy's heart, making her walk away in tears.

With the buried negativity finding its way back, Dipper could only question, "_After everything that has happened, why would she want to meet here?_"

Out of the blue, Dipper spotted something out of the ordinary. A few yards away, a huge multi-colored blanket covered a series of pointed and awkwardly-shaped items. Growing ever curious, he sprinted towards the oddity, only to have a wayward voice shout from out of the darkness.

"Stop right there!"

He came to an immediate halt, trying his best to seek out the source of the mysterious voice.

"You're late…"

A smile spread across his face as he recognized his friend, "Would you say, "fashionably late?"

"Maybe…turn around..."

Dipper slowly spun around, making sure that Wendy could get a good look at his appearance from wherever she was hiding.

"So, whatdya think?"

"Hmm…Mabel does great work!"

"Hey!" Dipper raised his hands against his hips, "What makes you think that she did all of this?"

Wendy giggled aloud, "'Cause I know you, and I know her. Plus, she called me after you left to let me know you were on the way…"

Dipper laughed dryly at being caught in his own fib, "Alright, alright, you got me…"

"Not yet…"

From out of the shrubbery, a towering shape stepped into the light. Dipper's eyes widened as he found himself face-to-face to a totally made-over Wendy. Her long, flowing auburn hair had been perfectly straighten and parted. Her emerald eyes were brought out by a lovely lavender eye shadow. Her eye lashes shone like the starlight that brightened the sky. Her thin lips were coated in a light red lipstick.

With a black decorative choker around her lean neck, her body was covered by a gorgeous green gown that branched off down her right leg. Her feet were placed into shiny-black high heels that only increased the gap in height between the two adolescents.

"How do I look?"

As if a majestic angel had decided to bless him with her presence, Dipper's mouth dropped at the mere sight. He stuttered repeatedly, the words struggling to flow from his mouth:

"You…You l-l-look l-like…*AHEM!* _you look like a dream_!"

"Thanks, squirt!" Wendy light-heartily punched his arm, "You don't look too shabby yourself!" She took Dipper by the hand and led him back towards the blanketed site. As they walked, Dipper finally asked the question that had been bothering him the whole night.

"Uh, Wendy? This is really nice and everything, but why are we here? I thought if anything, this would be the last place you'd ever want to go back to."

Her smile only grew, "It's funny you said that, buddy." She carefully took small steps to avoid clumsily falling over in her pumps. "I thought about everything that happened today, and kept in mind what you said as well…"

The redhead reached down and removed the bedspread, revealing an entire spread of junk food, take-out, and plenty of soda pop. An electric candle was placed in the center of the picnic, providing a much-needed additional light.

"Whoa-ho-oh!" Dipper exclaimed, amazed by all of the food surrounding them. "You – You made all of this stuff?"

Wendy sheepishly shrugged as she blushed, "Made – bought – same difference."

"Either way, it all looks great!"

"Thanks, dweeb! Anyways…" With Dipper in hand, Wendy turned around and extended her open arm across the open area, "…to answer your question, I figured enough with all of the bad memories that we have. We definitely need some new, better ones to replace them with! So, I thought, _what better place to start at!_"

Dipper nodded along, understanding the heart-warming point she was trying to make. He reached for a piece of fried chicken, only to be yanked back at the last second.

"Nuh-uh, little guy!" Wendy told him, "There's a small matter we still have to take care of first…"

"And what's that?"

She offered an open hand to him, "_I believe you still owe me a dance…"_

"Huh?"

"Come on already!"

Taking him by the hand, Wendy pulled Dipper close, wrapping her arms around him. As he did the same, he looked up, noticing that he was lucky if he reached her belly button now.

"Um…Wendy…"

She looked down, realizing that Dipper was further away than usual. She whacked herself playfully on the side of her head, "I guess I kinda forgot about that!"

Wendy slipped off her heels, easing the distance between the two by a bit, "Climb aboard the Wendy-express!" she said, wiggling her green-polished toes against the soft dirt.

Dipper started to untie his loafers, "Are you sure I won't hurt you?"

"Sure I'm sure!"

Standing in his socks, the pint-sized boy stepped on top of Wendy's feet. Once more, he could feel her wrap around his small frame.

"There we go; a little bit better, right?"

"Definitely..." He rested his head against her chest as she began to twirl them around. She pulled out her phone, hit a button, and tossed it into the sheet holding their dinner.

"And what's dancing without some music to go along with it?"

The couple spun around happily, as fireflies flew across the atmosphere. The song blaring through the night sky helped set the tone for them:

"_I don't ever wanna let you down.  
I don't ever wanna leave this town.  
'Cause after all,  
this city never sleeps at night…"*_

"I almost forgot!" Dipper pulled his head back, and reached into his pocket. He raised his hand to Wendy's face, and started to open his palm, "This is why I was late in the first place…"

Wendy saw a small green ember wrapped inside of a thin necklace. A matching gold chain attached it together.

"Dipper, it's…_beautiful_…"

"I made it for you. Do you like it?"

_"I love it!"_ She brought herself down, "Help put it on?"

Dipper reached up and fastened the simple link behind her neck, right against her choker. As she admired her new jewelry, he began to explain himself, "A long time ago, _I found a bunch of gems in the middle of the forest_, and lately, this one stood one in my mind. It doesn't do anything special, but it's the same shade as your eyes, so it made me think of you!"

"How about this?" Wendy pledged, "I'll always wear it, so I'll be reminded of you!"

"You really mean it?"

"Of course I do! It's great, Dipper! Really!"

They scrunched back together as they danced further on into the evening.

"So…" Wendy lowered her head and asked, "Is this everything that you hoped for?"

Dipper remained silent, being caught up in the special moment. To him, _it was everything and yet, nothing_ that he imagined his dream dance with Wendy to be. At last, he nodded in response, his eyes closely firmly. A huge grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Good…" the girl rubbed her fingers through his hair affectionately, "Well, enjoy it while you can. _This time next year, we might not be able to do this again…_" A series of chuckles escaped from Wendy's throat, trigging Dipper's paranoia.

"What does that mean?" Worried, Dipper gazed upwards, "What happens next year? Are you moving away? Will I ever see you again? And why is that funny?" He knew this was all too good to be true.

"Relax, you worry-wort," Wendy calmed him, "I didn't mean anything bad by that." She coughed out a half-chortle as she continued to rotate, "And I laughed 'cause the grass is tickling my feet..."

"Oh…"

"What I meant," she elaborated, "is that when you guys come back next year – I think it goes without saying that I know you'll come back next year– that _you're going to grow up on me_. _You're going to get bigger and taller_, and soon enough, _you'll be too big for me to hold_, _or carry you on my shoulders, or have dance on my feet…_"

Dipper noticed that she took on a somewhat saddened state as Wendy reflected upon her own words.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. It happens to everybody…

"Yeah, I guess so..." He lowered his head against her bosom as he asked her, "Is that really such a bad thing?"

Her face distorted as she considered the thought. "Hmm…I guess not. If you get bigger, that means that you'll get stronger, too…"

"True…"

"And sooner or later, that'll mean that you might to able to lift _me_ up someday…"

"Imagine that…"

A sly beam started to form on her freckled face, as Wendy started to shift her weight, "And you'll be able to hoist _me_ onto _your_ _shoulders_…"

Dipper opened his eyes as he felt the sudden change in gravity, "What – What are you doing?"

Wendy leaned even harder, tilting both of them towards the ground, "And give me piggyback rides whenever I want…"

"Sure! Whatever you say! Just don't - AAH!"

*THUMP!*

The mischievous ginger tipped over onto the minuscule lad, pinning him against the ground. His arms flailed wildly as he tried to escape!"

"Well, I want one…_right now_!"

"Wendy, I can't move!"

"But, you said _anytime I wanted_!" The teen made mocking faces at her trapped boyfriend as she continued to rib him. "My boy isn't tough enough to get me up?"

"No…" he gasped, "But he's _more than smart enough_…" Dipper moved his tiny hands towards her hips.

"What are you doing down – " Wendy started to squirm, "Wait, *TEE-HEE!* No! Don't tickle my sides!"

He stopped for a second, "Hang on; I didn't hear you right. "Don't" what?"

"Tickle my sides?"

"I'd be more than happy to oblige by your request!"

"Huh? Stop! HAHAHAHA! You tricked me! You're going to get it now!"

The two rolled on top of each other over and over again across the meadow, their combined laugher echoing throughout the peaceful sky as the music went on as they played blissfully:

_"It's time to begin, isn't it?  
I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit.  
I'm just the same as I was.  
Now, don't you understand,  
that I'm never changing who I am…"*_

* * *

_*"It's Time" by Imagine Dragons. Copyright 2012, Interscope Records_


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – The Second Day**

"HAHA! Oh, man! That's hilarious!"

"I know, right?"

The morning after their sweeten hillside rendezvous, Wendy and Dipper were stationed together at the desk of the Mystery Shack's Gift Shop. Unfortunately for the clever redhead, she had used the last of her employer's mercy the night before, as she was forced to work her scheduled shift. Luckily, her pint-sized beau had volunteered to do "inside-chores," giving him ample time to hang out and goof off with Wendy.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, pointing down into Dipper's Journal #3, "Look at this one! It's a squash with a face!"

"Yep…" Dipper tapped the tip of his blue and white pine-tree cap out of his direct line of vision, "There are a TON of crazy things out there." He looked up as Wendy took her emerald eyes off the crudely-drawn illustration and met his soft-brown ones. "You should see these things up close! The pictures don't do them justice." He playfully elbowed his girlfriend's side, "…and I don't mean that in a _good_ way…"

"I'll bet." Wendy returned her attention to the book as she continued onward, speed-reading through the text. Although the teen had seen her companion use the supernatural tome dozens of times to save the day, this was the very first that he had allowed her (or anyone else besides himself, at least to her recollection) to explore the journal at leisure.

Wendy smiled as she peeked at Dipper following along with her narration. In spite of being considered a miniscule detail, she knew that the simple act of sharing his secret hardback was more than it appeared to be_. She, alone had access to a side of the twelve-year-old where few were granted admittance_. In other words, the display meant that he whole-heartedly trusted her without hesitation; a fact that made the ginger feel important and greatly appreciated.

As Wendy turned to the next section, she spotted what appeared to be _a semi-crushed tape measure_ clumsily taped down to the worn page. She peeled it free with one thrust, and started to play around with it, "And lemme guess what this guy does – he magically makes you taller or something like that?"

With his attention waning, his thoughts filled with future fantasies and adventures with his auburn-haired sweetheart, Dipper came crashing back to reality as soon as he spotted Wendy fidgeting with the measure's counter.

"NO! DON'T!"

He lunged off his stool, snatching the measuring tape from Wendy's hands, making her flinch in reflex. Dipper landed hard on the ground, short of breath as he held the item close to his chest.

"Dude!" Wendy exclaimed. "What was that all about? It wasn't like I was gonna break it or anything…"

"I know," Dipper started to explain as slowly released the tape, letting it reset without activating its mysterious power. "It's just…not what you think it is…"

"What do you mean?"

Dipper held the device up so that Wendy could take a better look, "It may sound crazy, but this little guy is actually _a time machine_."

"That thing?! No way!"

"It's true!" The boy climbed back on his seat as he continued with his story, "There's this crazy, bald-headed time traveler guy that bothers Mabel and me every once in a while. The last time we met, we used that thing to escape from his clutches. He turned the tape measure around, showing off the various marks and scrapes, "However, it broke on the way back here."

"Well, that stinks, but – hold on…" Wendy's face started to light up, "You're trying to tell me that you've actually traveled through time?"

"Backwards and forwards, actually…"

"That is so…awesome!" Dipper blushed as Wendy proceeded to gush more about the topic at hand, "So, does it work now? Can we use it?" She paused for a second; her demeanor suddenly changed as a serious thought came to mind, "I wonder if it'll let me see…"

"Actually," Dipper confessed, "It doesn't really work…kinda." He scratched the back of his brown haired head, "I asked Soos to try to put it back together. He did what he could, but it only goes back a couple of days if I'm lucky." The pre-teen returned the memento to its page in the Journal, "We still can't get it to go forward in time in any way…"

"Oh…"

Dipper could tell by her expression that Wendy had something in mind for the accursed device. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Trust me when I say this, Wendy: _time travel is more trouble than you can possibly imagine…_"

"Sounds like you know from experience, eh?" She crossed her arms, "Tell me, little guy, was there some time – forgive the pun – where you wished you could go back and fix a terrible mistake?"

Despite her joking nature, an old wound started to tear open inside of his small form. He remembered the first time he experienced with time travel; of how he tried time and time again to avoid hitting Wendy in the eye with that random baseball while at the Mystery Fair. If only he could stopped the dreadful action from happening, she would have had her stuffed creature of indeterminate species and would have never dated Robbie in the first place.

Yet, as Dipper gazed up at the adoring girl waiting for his reply, he realized that the awful past no longer mattered for everything that he had hoped for on that day had come true.

"Yeah…I have…" he admitted, "But it's not important, since you're here with me now…"

Wendy rolled her eyes and countered in a sardonic tone, "Why, Dipper Pines. I bet you say that to all of the lumberjack girls…"

"You betcha…"

They froze for a moment, only to explode laughing at each other's silliness. The merriment was interrupted by a vibrating sound coming for the top of the counter. Wendy reached out and seized her shaking cell phone. Her thumbs jammed at the buttons at lightning speed, as a faint glowing shot against her freckled face.

"What is it?" Dipper asked.

Wendy turned towards him as she set the phone back down, "You know, another day, another text message from the guys tellin' me how sorry they are."

"They're apologizing _still_?!"

"They better!" She placed a hand on her narrow hip, "Boy, I don't know what you said to them, man, but whatever it was must have been a real doozy!"

"Heh-heh!" Dipper's nervousness came rushing back, "D-D-Don't mention it!"

"Hmm…maybe I won't then…" She stepped closer, lowering herself down to his level with a gleam in her eyes, "Maybe I'll…"

"AHEM!"

The two adolescents froze in place, only to turn simultaneously to see "Grunkle" Stan Pines standing on the other side of the counter. He lowered his fist from his mouth, "Good! You're both here!"

"Grunkle Stan! I didn't see you there!"

"Hey there, Mr. Pines!"

The scene had become serious and incredibly awkward in a matter of seconds. "I wanted to talk to you two about this whole…" The elder demonstrated by rotating his wrist around in a circle, _"…thing you got going on here…_" He reached into the pocket of his tuxedo jacket, cursing under his breath as he searched for something in particular, "I know I have it here somewhere. I had written it down…"

A moment later, Mr. Mystery pulled out a crumpled sheet of notebook paper. He carefully unfolded the note, taking the time to adjust his eyeglasses before he started to read aloud; his eyes shifting between his dictation and the two employees before him.

"*COUGH!* It has come to my attention that there is a change…um…_blooming_ within our Mystery Shack family…"

Wendy and Dipper looked at each other in disbelief, only to return their focus on the old man trying to maintain his composure.

"What is he doing?"

"Dude, did he just say "_blooming_?""

"…and while I, above all people, can understand the value and rarity of young love, it is just as important to remember that the Mystery Shack is a business first and foremost. For this, I have complied a series of "new rules" in order to keep things from spiraling out of hand…"

He pulled the sheet upwards as he started to read from a list, "As of this moment on, the following is forbidden at this establishment. There is to be no hanky-panky. No goo-goo eyes from across the room. No weird kissy faces. No playing footsies under desks, cabinets, etc…."

Abruptly, the telephone started to ring. Each member of the mortified couple sprang to life, opting to answer it, "I'VE GOT IT!"

Nevertheless, Dipper called it out a split second before the lumberjack princess. With a devilish grin, he raced to the phone, as Wendy snapped her fingers in dismay, being left behind to hear out the rest of the old coot's demands:

"No touchy-feely. No smooch woochy…"

Dipper picked the piece off of the base, "Mystery Shack…" he answered. "Yes, this is he…"

Wendy lowered her head onto her fist as Stan went on with his demands. With her free hand, she innocently played with the green amber that her boyfriend had made for her, admiring it from every possible angle. Her eyes glanced over to Dipper on the other side of the room. He had turned his back to them as he carried on with his conversation.

"Huh, I wonder what that's about…"

"No giggling like school girls. No romantic staring contests. Keeping it at arms lengths…are you even listening to me, missy?"

"Wha?" Wendy raised her head, "Yeah, I got ya, boss. No messing around when there's money to be made, right?"

"Huh? Why you – " Stan regained his poise as Dipper came back with a desponded look on his face. The miser pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the lad, "Just make sure he gets the message. Got it?"

Wendy nodded, "Got it, Mr. Pines…"

Grunkle Stan walked away from her and headed back towards the family room. As he passed the child, he nudged him slightly, "Who was on the horn, kid?"

"Err…" Dipper mumbled. "Wrong number…"

The old-timer paid him no mind as he went on his way to his treasured recliner. However, Wendy could easily tell that something had happened to weigh heavily on her partner-in-crime's mind.

Dipper climbed back onto his stool, "So, how far was Stan able to go before you stopped him?"

"Oh," Wendy waved his concern away, "Too far, I'm afraid. But enough about that. What was up with that call? That definitely wasn't just a "wrong number…"

"Yeah…" the tiny detective let out a huge sigh, "Funny as it sounds, that was actually the Gravity Falls Prison.

"The Prison? Calling you?" A sense of dread quickly overcame the cashier girl as she started to reminisce all of her juvenile recklessness. "For who – I mean, for what?"

He hung his head, "The warden called, wanting to talk to me about…Lil' Gideon."

Wendy's brow raised, "That fat blueberry that's always bugging you guys? I thought they locked him up and threw away the key? He didn't escape or something, did he?"

"No, actually…" She noticed that her small cohort appeared puzzled, "It's kinda the complete opposite. The warden said that Gideon copped up to all of his wrong-doings and wished to turn over…" Dipper made quotes using his index fingers, "…a new leaf on life…"

"PFFT!" Wendy let out a raspberry, "What a crock! And they're buying his act?"

"I guess so. He said that Gideon has been nothing short of the model prisoner, and as part of his rehabilitation, wants to make amends with everyone he had wronged."

"And I'm guessing you were at the top of the list…"

"Yep, and they asked if I could visit him today so he can apologize in person."

Why, isn't that convenient? You're not going, are you?"

"To be honest," Dipper elaborated further, "I was about to hang up on the guy, when the warden said that Gideon mentioned that he wanted to share "_several secrets that would be beneficial to my cause…_""

"I see…"

Dipper drooped as he went deeper into thought, "So, what should I do, Wendy? Sure, I trust Gideon as far as I can throw him – and trust me, that's not very far…"

"HA!"

"…but at the same time…" Dipper stared towards the swinging door that his great-uncle disappeared behind a moment earlier, "…he might be able to give me the answers Stan can't or _won't_…"

Wendy could see the inner conflict brewing within his tiny frame. Without saying a word, she knelt down to meet Dipper at eye level. She placed her hands on his shoulders, deciding to use her gut-intuition to help in his time of need.

"_Go for it_…"

"What?"

"I think you should go for it. I know this stuff's really important to you, so this might your only shot to find out the truth about these things." She stood back up, "I mean, the little snot's in jail anyways. It's not like anything bad could possibly happen to you with a bazillion security guards everywhere…"

Dipper stuck out his arms, "But even if I wanted to go, how would I get there? It's way too far to go alone by Mystery Cart."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Why not ask Soos? I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"And what about Grunkle Stan? He'll know something's up if everyone up and disappears on him?"

"How about this?" Wendy planned, once again, keeping her own unlawful past in mind, "I'll stay here to keep the old coot busy. And that way, you can even take Mabel along for the ride in case you do need the extra help for some reason."

"Really?" he exclaimed. "You'd do that for me?"

"Of course I would, Dipper!" She rubbed his thick brown hair with much affection, "_You're my boy! I'd do anything to help you out_."

He rushed in and wrapped his noodle arms around Wendy's waist, squeezing as tight as he could. She held her hands against the back of his head, beaming brightly at the energetic boy, her breath shorten by the pressure in her mid-section. Dipper let go and raced out of the room, "I'll go talk to the guys and get ready!"

As soon as he left the room, Wendy resumed her spot on her stool, and let out a concerned sigh. She raised her hands to her chin, wondering if she had really made the right choice by encouraging Dipper.

* * *

Almost a half hour later, Dipper, Mabel, and Soos came pouring out of the door leaving to the Pines' living room. As the redhead sat at her station reading the newest issue of _Indie Fuzz_, the elder twin and the handyman each offered a parting:

"See ya, Wendy!"

"Later, Wendy-dude!"

She turned around to see Dipper waiting for her attention. He lightly placed his hand on top on hers resting on the countertop, "Thanks again for covering, Wendy. You don't know how much it helps with everything…"

"Anytime, dork…" He turned around to tail after his other two explorers. "Wait a second! _You forgot something!_"

Dipper froze in his tracks as Wendy hopped off her stool. He turned around to see that she stopped inches away from him. "Really?" he patted his pockets, trying his best to remember if he took all of his supplies. "What did I forget?"

_"This…"_

The towering ginger bent down and plucked off his blue and white cap. With tender care, she lifted up his overlapping bangs, exposing his despised "_Big Dipper"_ birthmark on his forehead. Wendy leaned in and delivered a sweetened kiss, _his favorite one of her kisses_, right on top of it.

"That's for good luck, okay?"

"Luck…" he turned an embarrassed shade of red, "…sounds good to me…"

She pulled herself back and prided over her shorten boyfriend, "_Go get 'em, slugger_…"

"OOOH!" Both Mabel and Soos cried from the doorway, their hands affixed to their cheeks.

Annoyed, the duo turned towards them, "OH, SHUDDUP ALREADY!" With their friends silent, they smiled and chuckled at their shared sense of humor. Dipper went back on his way with a wave, "I'll be back soon, so don't worry!"

"I won't!" Wendy returned the gesture until she watched the trio climb into Soos's old pick-up truck and disappear down the trail leading out of the woods. After letting her imagination race as she stared out the window, the girl shook her head clear, returned to her seat behind the counter. Wendy placed her muddy boots upwards, trying to make herself comfortable, as she picked up where she left off in her magazine.

* * *

The road to the state prison was made up of a broken gavel path. Despite being surrounded by a mini-forest of redwoods, the entire natural area had a gloomy grey outlook that seemed unaffected by the bright sun shining overhead. The worn-down, poorly bricked complex was enclosed by a sturdy chain-linked fence. The top of every angle was fitted with a twisted razor-sharp barbed wire tip. A lone watchtower sat on the east side of the prison, complete with guard watching out for any suspicious activity.

Soos parked the truck just outside of the main gate. Dipper opened the passenger side door and stepped out, nearly missing banging his head against the metal frame.

"Dipper," Mabel asked, "Are you sure you don't want us to go in with you?"

He remained firm on his decision, "I'd rather not, just in case this is some sort of trick. Speaking of…" Dipper reached into his navy blue vest and took out his Journal. "Hang on to this for me. The last thing I need is for Gideon to get his chubby mitts on this thing again!"

Mabel opened her hands to receive his prize possession, only for Dipper to pull away at the last second.

"And no reading spells aloud, alright?"

She reached forward and snatched the book from him, "Thanks for the advice, "Mr. Didn't-Mean-To-Raise-The-Dead!"

He shut the door and hurried to the security check-in, where he was passed from anonymous guard to anonymous guard until Dipper was taken to the cast iron front door. It slowly creaked open, revealing a hunchbacked, middle aged man with slick-backed, combed over hair. His matching navy blue pants, shirt, and jacket get-up appeared to be firmly ironed, starched, and pressed. He bowed towards the earth, offering an open hand to the tentative lad.

"Dipper Pines, I presume?"

The shortened detective shook the adult's hand with a loosen grip, "Heh – That would be me. I take it you're the Warden then?"

"Yes, my son…" The adult rose back to his original posture and began to walk side by side with Dipper back into the facility. "This has been my prison for over twenty-five years running…" He overlooked the middle-schooler from head to toe, "Pardon my being-presumptuous. It's just that – well, we don't really receive too many children here…" He cleared his throat, "…_except for_…"

"Yeah," Dipper interrupted, "I was going to ask about that. No offense, but I was a bit taken aback by your offer. It's kind of unusual for someone in – um – your position to grant an inmate such a big favor."

"Of course!" The two walked past a series of various offices with transparent windows, "Here, I try to run a more _progressive_ penal system than most. I personally believe that it is my responsibility to do more for the convicts here, lest this place turn into a constant, revolving door…"

As Dipper listened to the administrator rattle onwards, he noticed a huge group of workers and guards trying to secure and fix what appeared to be a huge, gaping hole in the west wing of the prison.

The man could tell by the utter silence that Dipper was distracted, "Oh…_that_…yes, unfortunately, not everyone could be as redeemable as #1231. Our team is already hard at work in locating the escapees as we speak…"

"Oh…"

"After all," the Warden pointed out, "I can't say I've ever seen a person amongst these parts as helpful and giving as Gleeful. He's changed the lives of several of his fellow inmates in the few weeks he's been here." He proceeded to count off using his fingers, "He's taught them how to read and write, honorable trades for when they are released from this place, and…"

Dipper merely rolled his eyes as the man continued to list all of Gideon's accomplishments, "Yeah," he replied sarcastically, "He's a real treasure…" He knew better than anybody how well the plumped false prophet was able to pull the wool over people's eyes.

The Warden brought Dipper to one last checkpoint, where he was asked to surrender anything that could be used a potential threat. Thankful that he had left the Journal #3 with Mabel and Soos, he deposited his wallet and cell phone into the chute, as the employee behind the counter carefully sorted everything into a neat manila envelope for safe keeping.

Dipper was lead into a room with a crystal clear glass divider in the middle. A half a dozen generic black stools sat on each side before a halved black table. A series of tiny holes were embedded every few feet in the window, allowing somewhat of a clear conversation between the two planes. He guessed that he had been brought into some sort of visitor's center.

Before the Warden left, he offered the youngster some support, "Remember, we will be nearby if anything goes awry." Dipper nodded in understanding as the man shut the door behind him.

A stern buzz echoed throughout the tiny hall. Dipper could hear lock after lock being undone until he could hear an unseen door open from the other side of the viewing window. Seconds later, he could see two blue-uniformed guards walking alongside a moving whitish-gray mound of hair. As it approached the center stool, the two officers lifted the mass upwards, revealing none other than Lil' Gideon himself.

Surprisingly to Dipper, prison life had appeared to done little to affect the plump sociopath. Even without his usual supply of makeup and stolen moisturizer, Gideon looked nearly the exact same as the last time he had seen him, as the Gravity Falls Police Department dragged him kicking and screaming into the back of a police cruiser. The only difference was that he was sporting a state-issued orange jumpsuit instead of his usual cauliflower-blue suit.

"Why, Dipper Pines…" he greeted with an excited snort, "I can't believe my eyes! How you'd been? How have you been?"

Reluctantly, Dipper took up the matching seat on his end and met the nine-year-old in the center. "Hello, Gideon…" he muttered, already growing annoyed by his nemesis's phoniness.

"You're looking good. Looking good. Getting a bit soft in the middle-section, I see. Now, how long as it been? A few weeks, am I right?"

"Not long enough if you ask me…"

"Now, Dipper," he tapped the window playfully, "Is that anyway to talk to an old friend like me?"

"_Old friend_? HA!" Dipper banged his end of the table mockingly, "Look, you know why I'm here. Can we cut out the niceties, and get right to it? What was this "great secret" that you needed to tell me?"

Gideon sat back and giggled, "Ah, yes! I knew you'd be eager to wet your sleuthing whistle…" He leaned forward, waving for Dipper to come closer," "I want to talk to you about one of the greatest secrets about life itself…"

Dipper's patience was wearing thin, "If this is about "not dropping the soap," I really don't need to hear details about that…"

The self-proclaimed psychic threw his double-chinned head and exploded with laughter. He looked back at the two guards stationed against the back wall and pointed at Dipper, "Funny guy! He's a funny guy, isn't he?" He quickly regained himself, "No, but all joking aside, my time spent in this…pardon my language - heckhole – -had made me stop and re-examine my life."

"Okay…?"

"My point being…" Gideon went on, "…is that I look back and realize everything I have given up and lost because of my obsession with the secrets that this town – and that old fool Stanford Pines – has hidden away. In other words, I had blinded myself and forgotten about what was really important to me."

"I really hope you're going somewhere with all of this…"

"Oh, but I am…" Gideon's smile only deepened, "_I am_." He placed both of his pudgy hands on the table, entwining them together as he continued, "You see, boy, we are willing to sacrifice everything and anyone for those things we believe to be important to us. For example, I _sacrificed_ what one would call a normal childhood for fame and fortune. I _sacrificed_ a close friendship with your sister at a chance at something more, no thanks to you –"

"Listen, man. Don't bring Mabel into this –"

Gideon held up his hands in defense, "Let me finish, please. As I was saying, I also _sacrificed_ my freedom in an attempt to gain unimaginable power and rule over this white-bread mountain town with an iron fist." He went back to a calm state, "This is what I'm trying to tell you, Dipper. My apology…my gift to you is some friendly advice."

"And that is?"

"Well, don't mean to answer your question with a question, but…" His devilish grin spread further.

_"What is truly important to you?"_

* * *

Wendy held her copy of _Indie Fuzz_ over her face as the bell hanging above the Gift Shop Door rang. Even though she could make out footsteps, the bored teenager paid the new visitors no heed.

"Welcome to the Mystery Shack," she murmured lazily, trying to finish her current paragraph. "Home of Mr. Mystery, yadda-yadda-yadda…" She waved her hand in the air, bypassing the rest of the spiel that Stan preferred she would welcome guests with. The treads came closer and louder. "If there's anything I can do to help…"

*SLAM!*

A muscular arm reached over and ripped the book out of her grasp, hurling it into the old wooden countertop. With a hint of anger, Wendy looked up, only to turn white at the sight before her. A group of burly men dressed in orange jumpsuits loomed over her. She watched as _all eyes were focused solely on her_; their foreheads sagging through their sweat-stained bandannas and headbands. They growled at the defenseless girl through gritted teeth, as Wendy could tell from their disgusting scars and tattoos that these guys were the furthest things from the average tourist.

"…just let me know…"

* * *

"What's truly important to me?" Dipper repeated the question, "I'm not…I don't get it."

"Think about it, Dipper," Gideon encouraged. "In a way, you and I are alike –"

"I'm _nothing_ like you!"

"Au contraire!" the inmate waggled his finger at him. "Like me, you wish to explore the glorious secrets of this place. However, everything comes at a price, Dipper! Perhaps I'll try a different approach; is your quest for knowledge the most important thing in your life?"

"What? No! Of course not!"

"And yet," Gideon taunted, "Here you are. Face to face with "widdle" ol' me, desperate to gain any hints on where to continue your search next. That's exactly what I'm talking about!"

Dipper stood up, "Stop talking in riddles! What are you trying to say?!"

Gideon remained ever-so-confident, never once faulting in his presentation, "All I'm suggesting is that you run the risk of making the same mistake I did – I let my carelessness and foolish pride make me forget about everything that was truly important to me. That's why you're here – in a manner of way, _I'm going to share my pain with you_."

Dipper folded his arms, "So, you're giving me life lessons in order to make up for all of the terrible things you've done?" He started towards the door, "Thanks, but no thanks…"

"SIT DOWN NOW!" The two guards went to make a move towards Gideon, only for him to spin around and offer an embarrassed smirk, "Sorry about that, gentlemen. Just a bit passionate about the topic at hand…"

He flopped back down, "You may want to pay attention to this next part. It's really important…"

With a long, agitated heave, Dipper came back and resumed the conversation with his adversary.

"Now then, I thought for a long time the best way to teach you this message. I know how important family is to you, but at the same time, I would never raise a hand towards my beloved Mabel, and as much as I despite your fraudulent great-uncle, the old con is worth more alive than you realize…"

Dipper raised an eyebrow as soon as he mentioned possible death. "What are you talking about?"

"What I mean is that – well, Dipper, I must admit, _she is a beautiful girl_. I'm not really fond of redheads myself, but I can easily see what you love about her. You're very lucky to have found each other in this crazy world. Now, what was her name? Wendy, right?"

A chill ran down Dipper's spine, "Wha – ha – I don't know who you're talking about…"

Seeing that he touched a nerve, Gideon dug deeper, "Oh, but I think you do. No reason to play coy with me. Lemme show you something. He reached into his ear, plucked out a nearly-microscopic white device, and placed it on the black table. "That is a small bug that I smuggled inside of this-here place. The other end is set up in the Gift Shop; I did it way back when I took the Mystery Shack Deed from ol' Stanford. "

He pointed at his right eye, "And this is a special contact lens designed by that crazed hillbilly McGucket. It gives me an eagle-eye view on all of the activities back at the Mystery Shack. And guess what I have seen, boy? How you blush when she kisses your forehead. How you tell her the lamest jokes and puns just to hear that sweet and addicting laugh of hers. How you hang on her every single word, no matter how boring her gibberish is, just for the sake of being the center of her attention…"

Gideon let out a relieved laugh, "Even though it is _the most pathetic thing I have ever seen_, you two definitely know how to tug on an old softie's heartstrings, I tell you what..."

Dipper had heard enough. He hopped up and pressed against the solid screen, making the guards on the other side take notice "And just what do you think you're going to do, huh?! Even with one arm tied behind her back, Wendy would mop the floor with ya! And besides, you're stuck in here! You'll never get near her! Never!"

The fat middle-schooler sniffed loudly, "That's where you're wrong! You see, in my short time here, I had made a lot of friends. Turns out that some of the biggest, meanest, and heck, deadliest inmates were huge fans of my show. Long story short, they were incredibly sympathetic towards my plight. You could even say that they would do _anything_ I asked of them…"

As Gideon finished his sentence, Dipper noticed a gleam in his wicked eyes. His words had more meaning than they appeared to have at face value. A split-second later, the tiny detective realized the awful truth:

"The prison-break! _That was you_! _You_ organized it!"

"Guilty as charged!" Gideon replied with self-satisfaction.

The two officers in the room stormed out the room, racing to tell their superiors the transgression that occurred under their very noses, leaving the two adolescents locked in on opposite sides of the same space. However, the child prisoner remained cool and confident throughout.

"From the second you stepped into this hall, _she was already taken!_ I witnessed the whole thing! They pounced upon your precious Wendy like a lamb being led to the slaughter!"

The mere thought of his favorite ginger being manhandled by the unruly escapees made Dipper hyperventilate in a panic. He tried his best to calm himself in order to confront Gideon.

"So…*WHEEZE!* So what? Is she going to be used for ransom for the Journal or the Deed to the Shack? Is that your big plan?"

Gideon shook his head, "Oh, heavens-to-goodness, no! I already have everything I wanted from your stupid Journal. And I'll end up with Stanford's Mystery Shack sooner or later. But, no – _this_ –" He used his open palm to highlight Dipper, "This is what I wanted: you over here –_helpless, beaten, defeated!_ I mean, look at you! You're two seconds away from crying your poor li'l eyes out, and there's nothing you do about it!"

In a blind rage, Dipper went to pick up the stool, only to find it bolted firmly to the floor. He instead started to pound on the reinforced window with both fists, hoping to break through to the other side.

"YOU COWARD! LEAVE HER ALONE! WENDY'S INNOCENT! SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU AND ME!"

Gideon's eyes lowered, "Temper, temper, boy! Her fate was sealed the moment she decided to align herself with your kind! And where was all of this concern for her when you came through that door, huh?! That girl was the furthest thing on your mind, wasn't she, Mr. Explorer? I bet that when you left your hovel this morning, you never thought it would be the last time you'd see your lovely Wendy _alive_, did you?!"

As Dipper continued to throw punch after punch at the barrier, Gideon stood up and gloated, "This is exactly what I trying to warn you about earlier. _This_ is what happens when you put all your time and energy towards a meaningless goal instead of focusing on your loved ones! I guess you'll know better next time…"

A swarm of guards rushed into the room, surrounding Lil' Gideon. As they started to peel him away from the glass, he shouted as loud as he could, "_It's kind of ironic when you think about it, isn't it Pines? You thought that your rise to fame would be figuring out the secrets of Gravity Falls…"_ The police force dragged him towards the exit, _"Who'd thunk it that the one mystery that will forever elude you is "which shallow grave is my girlfriend buried in?!" HAHAHAHA!"_

Dipper turned on his heels and reached for the doorknob, only to find it locked. He kicked at the door, yelling to the top of his lungs, "OPEN UP! OPEN THE DARN DOOR! I NEED TO GO! NOW!"

*CLICK!*

As soon as the door was opened, Dipper sprinted from the room and down the corridor. The Warden stood behind the frame; a guilty look spread across his face for his role in the tragedy. The pre-teen raced to retrieve his deposits.

"COME ON! OH, COME ON!"

He tore though the envelope and pulled out his cell phone. Dipper's fingers fumbled randomly, until he forced himself to slow down. He went into his list of contacts and hit the call button as it reached Wendy's name.

*RING…RING…RING…RING…*

Every passing second without hearing his girlfriend's voice felt like an eternity; a somewhat fitting punishment for easily deciding to leave her behind without giving a second thought.

"_Hi! This is Wendy_…"

"WENDY!" Dipper screeched, "Where are you?! Did they –"

_"Sorry I can't pick up your call, but if you leave me a message…"_

Dipper's heart sank deeper as the recording played out. He snapped his phone shut and hurried back down the hallway. His agony was lengthened each time he was forced to stop at a checkpoint before being allowed to the next passage.

Several minutes later, Dipper ran through the main gate back to the parking lot. Mabel was leaning against Soos's truck, watching the variously shaped clouds in the muggy sky as the man-child sat in the driver's seat, whistling and rocking back and forth to the beat of the current song on the radio. The braced tween's brown eyes lit up at the sight of her brother racing towards her. As soon as she saw the distressed look on his face, she stood up and approached Dipper, who nearly keeled over in exhaustion. "What's the matter?"

He huffed and puffed, his hands placed against his knees, as he struggled to regain his breath. "Gideon…Wendy…" he choked. "It…It was all a trick! There was a prison break earlier…these guys were Gideon's followers! He…*COUGH!* He knows about Wendy and me! They're after her!"

"Oh no!" Mabel raised her hands to her cheeks, "She's going to get _Wendy-napped_!"

"This is serious, Mabel!" Dipper broke eye-contact, ashamed of his actions, "Gideon said…he said that he ordered these people to hurt her just to get to me! We gotta get back to the Shack as soon as possible!"

The twins hopped back into the pick-up, only to interrupt Soos's mellow, startling him. "WHOA!" he came down to reality. "You guys back already!"

"There's no time to explain, Soos!" Mabel said.

"Wendy's in trouble! We have to go home! FAST!"

Soos pulled down his hat, and instantly shifted gears, "You dudes got it!" The truck's wheels spun as they burnt the gravel, zooming into reverse, spinning around until they were zooming down the desolated highway back towards town.

Dipper retrieved his cell phone once again, attempting to get a hold of his favorite redhead, only to be taunted by her automated voice message. "I keep trying to call her, but she's not picking up?"

His sister asked, "Did you try calling the Shack's house line?"

Dumbfounded by his own ignorance, Dipper threw a hand against his forehead, "Stupid…" he muttered under his breath, dialing the new number into his phone.

*RING…RING…RING…RING…*

He shut the cell phone. "No one's answering! The machine's not even picking up!"

"Wait, Dipper…" Mabel asked with a hint of sadness in her voice, "Wasn't Grunkle Stan home with Wendy?" A shared silence between the twins served as an understanding to what she was implying.

"Yeah, but I'm sure he's alright…" Dipper reassured his sibling, remembering Gideon's comment towards his great-uncle. "You know, he's usually never home in the first place. Stan's always out giving tours or going into supplies in town…" She smiled at his excuse, yet, deep down, Dipper's guilt only grew, knowing that there was a chance that another person could have been hurt due to his negligence.

"Almost there, guys!" The trio shot around Main Street in downtown Gravity Falls, and started up the dirt road through the woods leading to the Mystery Shack. Dipper's imaginative mind raced, unsure of what exactly he was going to find once the car stopped.

As soon as they arrived at the Mystery Shack, Dipper sprung from the passenger's side seat, not even waiting for Soos to come to a complete stop. He sprinted towards the family entrance of the tourist trap, as Mabel called after him, "Dipper, wait! You don't know who's in there!"

"WENDY?!" The twelve-year old threw the front door open, surprising the old timer who had fallen asleep comfortably in his trusty recliner parked in front of the television. "BAH!" he jumped from his seat, revealing nothing but his cut-off-tee, boxers, and ruined slippers, "What's the deal, lovebird? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

While relieved that Stan was alright, Dipper still didn't have the answer he desperately needed to know. He raced past his caretaker and swung open the door leading to the Gift Shop. "Hey, wait a sec –"

"WEN – Oh! Oh, man…"

The entire shop was completely trashed! Countless knick-knacks and Mr. Mystery mementos lay broken on the wooden floor. Posters were torn from the wall. The vending machine's window had been caved in, sprinkling shards of glass over the ground. He turned towards Wendy's post to see that the desk had been cracked down the middle. The metal racks cradling numerous items had been violently tossed down as Dipper found the same music magazine she had been reading earlier shredded to pieces. Her flip phone rested on the far edge of the counter, flashing the message "MISSED CALL" repeatedly.

A slight breeze prompted him to turn around. He looked at the Gift Shop's exit had been left wide open. Wendy's fluffy brown trapper hat was left in the center of the doorway. Dipper dropped to his knees, slowly scooping up his sweetheart's article, and held it tightly to his chest. The realization of his actions were finally started to hit him as tears started to fill his eyes.

Stan opened the door to the Gift Shop as the rest of the family followed behind him, "Didn't ya hear what I said, kid? Now, what's this that they're saying about –" His mouth dropped as he was left stunned by the destruction of his beloved franchise.

"My shack!" the geezer exclaimed, falling to his knees in agony, "My poor shack! Look at what they've done to my poor shack!" He reached out and picked up a now-headless Mr. Mystery bobblehead. "Poor little fella. Never even had a chance to be bought by some sucker and bobble away to his heart's content!"

Seeing the sadness in her brother's eyes, Mabel nudged her relative with her tiny elbow, reminding him of the true catastrophe at hand. "Oh?" Stan looked up, remembering his nephew's plight, "Oh, yeah…And Wendy…real shame about her…"

Dipper shook away his sorrow. He wasn't ready to give up just yet. Still holding Wendy's cap, the troubled lad stood back up, and rushed out the back door. "WENDY?!" he continued to shout out into the distance, hoping for a simple sign that his favorite redhead was still along the living. "WENDY, PLEASE! IF YOU CAN, SAY SOMETHING!"

"_Something_…"

He stopped in his tracks, caught off-guard by the smart-aleckly response, "Who…Who said that?!"

"I did…"

Dipper looked around the surrounding forest, wondering if his guilty mind was playing tracks on him. "Where are you?" he asked the familiar-sounding voice out in the distance.

It giggled, "Dork, I'm over here!"

He followed the sound around to the back end of the cabin. He gasped aloud as he spotted sitting on the top of the old picnic table in the middle of the yard was none other than Wendy Corduroy. Her auburn hair was frizzled. Sweat poured down her flushed freckled cheeks. Her knees were scraped, as her jeans were ripped in several spots. He could see her white blouse as her green flannel had been unbuttoned. Her hands were covered with cuts and nicks, as if she had been in a fist-fight. With a pant, Wendy raised her head, flashed a confident smile, and offered a simple wave, "Hey, there…"

Dipper dashed towards the teenager, stopping a few feet away from where she sat. Wendy gave him a puzzled look, "What's with you, short stuff? _You look like you've seen a ghost or something…"_

"You…You're alright!"

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

He took a careful step forward, "But how? How did you escape? I mean, with all those guys? And the shack? _What happened_?"

"Oh…_that_!" Wendy sat back. "I'm not exactly sure what that was about, but a bunch of guys tried to jump me back there. I'll admit, they _did_ catch me by surprise, but once I was on my feet, I made them sorry that they ever tried to mess me with me!"

Wendy looked up to the tree tops, "Isn't that right, guys?"

Dipper's eyes followed suit. Two of the escaped inmates hung upside down, slightly flowing side to side in mid-air. Each dangled from a snare trap wrapped around an ankle. The brutes cursed and swore at the bragging ginger.

"YOU LITTLE WITCH!"

"YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS!"

"DON'T THINK YOU'LL GET AWAY WITH THIS!"

"LET US DOWN NOW!"

"Oh, I will, I will…" Wendy nodded along, "…as soon as the cops show up."

Dipper let out a relieved laugh, "Wendy, you…you did this?!"

"Yep!" she prided, taking her trusty trapper hat from him, replacing it on top of her head. "You don't live with boys all your life without learning a thing or two about hunting and placing traps in the woods."

"SHE'S A MONSTER, I TELLS YA!"

"Quiet!" Wendy ordered. She jumped from the bench and ordered a hand to Dipper. "C'mon, I want to show you something…"

Dipper took her hand and followed along, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see…"

Wendy and Dipper walked past the Mystery Shack, only to end up in front of the Bottomless Pit. Oddly enough, a huge net had been placed over the opening. Stakes had been pounded into each corner to prevent it from being removed.

Dipper shrugged his shoulders, "I don't get it, Wendy."

"Shh…just watch," She pulled back her sleeve and glanced down at her wristwatch, "In 3…2…1…"

A roar of shouts could be heard coming from the ditch. Dipper jumped back as the remaining group of prisoners flew up out of the Bottomless Pit, only to be snagged by the covering. Without an opening, the bunch was thrown back into the blackness, their voices rung out until they faded away.

The two adolescents laughed aloud at the attackers' misfortune. Dipper stared at his partner-in-crime with a renewed sense of amazement, _"I can't believe it; she single-handedly took out an entire gang of dangerous psychopaths, and she brushed it off like it was nothing!"_

However, the craziness of the day weighed heavily on his body. After he let out one last laugh, he moaned in fatigue as he collapsed against Wendy's midsection. She merely beamed down at him, tilting over to give him a comforting kiss on top of his head.

_"My poor little dork…"_

* * *

Later that night, Dipper watched the sun set against the calming waters of the Gravity Falls Lake as he thought about the day's events. The mocking words of Gideon Gleeful echoed throughout his consciousness. Even though he hated to admit it, his arch-rival was right in several ways. Ever since his arrival in Gravity Falls, his search for the mysteries hiding in the shadow vied with his efforts in winning Wendy Corduroy's heart. However, it seemed that the further he explored the hidden secrets, the more trouble arose not only for him, but those he cared about as well.

He asked himself if he should be happy with being together with his crush and forget all about the truth behind Gravity Falls. After that, there couldn't be anything out there worth risking her life again…

"Hey, scoot over!"

With a flaming marshmallow on a stick in hand, Wendy sat down on the log Dipper stationed himself on. She pulled it forward and blew on it until the fire was extinguished. The teenager went to take a bite, only to see her beau staring blankly into the bonfire before him. Seeing how upset he was earlier, Wendy had offered to take the troubled sleuth out to an impromptu campout by the lakeside to settle his nerves.

"So," she playfully nudged him with her shoulder, "Still thinking about how I was almost _"Wendy-napped"_ today?"

The burning light reflected off his brown eyes, "That's still not funny…" He lowered his head into his raised knees, "…no matter how much you and Mabel keep saying it…"

"Oh, come on, Dipper!" The redhead took a bite out of her gooey treat, "I'm okay. You're okay. Everything worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"Yeah, but it's still my fault…"

"No, it's not!" Wendy spoke with her mouth filled with melted marshmallow, "You can't blame yourself for what that fat little pig does. Besides, I'm the one who told you to go." She smirked at him, her teeth covered in burnt, white goo, "So, you can blame me if you want…"

Dipper let out a sigh, "I'll never take another stupid risk ever again…"

*THUD!*

"Ow!" he rubbed the sore spot on his shoulder where Wendy had slugged him one, "What was that for?"

Her demeanor had changed to a serious one, "I _never_ want to hear you talk like that!"

"Like what?"

Wendy threw out her arms, "Life is all about taking stupid risks, Dipper! If we didn't, this world would be a total bore!" She looked out towards the forming stars in the half-night sky, "Sure, buddy, bad things will occasionally happen, and sometimes, we can't stop them. But at the same time, without taking chances, the good things may never happen either!"

"How so?"

"Like me and you, Dipper," she countered. "It was a stupid risk that lead to us hanging out. It was a stupid risk that saved our butts in that haunted convenience store! Stupid risks helped you rescue this town time and time again from all of this strange stuff …" Her emerald eyes narrowed, "It was a stupid risk that gave you the courage to help me when I needed you the most, when no one else would…"

"I see what you're saying…" he finally spoke up. "If I never took a chance, you and I would probably not be together now, would we?"

"Maybe…" Wendy rose to her feet, "But enough about the "what ifs" for today." She pulled Dipper up, "I want you to come do something with me…"

Dipper shivered as the temperature had significantly dropped from earlier in the day, "Brrr…" he wrapped his arms around himself, "Is it me, or is it freezing out here?"

Wendy shook her head in dismay, "I told you earlier, dweeb. It always gets colder down by the lake." She lowered her hand by his body, "And all you're wearing is that T-shirt and vest thingy…" She reached over into her knapsack and pulled out a plaid flannel shirt. "Throw this on. It might be a bit big on ya, but I think it'll do the trick…"

Dipper threw the oversized shirt on, as Wendy stood back and admired his new look, "Hmm…as weird as it sounds, it kinda makes you look…_more mature_ for some reason."

"Gee," he commented sarcastically, "I didn't know flannel had sort of "magical" effect on people…"

"Hush, you!" She pulled him alongside her, "We have to hurry before the sun sets…"

"What was it you wanted to do?"

Wendy became red in the face as she started to explain, "This may sound weird, but _I want to take a picture of us together_. Nothing silly or goofy. Just a nice, simple picture…" She overlooked her companion as a thought came to mind.

"Speaking of…" She grabbed a hold of Dipper's hat and yanked it off his head, making him cry out in surprise. "No hats, either!" Wendy removed her own trapper cap, and set them down by the fire.

Dipper covered his head in a panic, "I can't take a picture like this, Wendy! My hair's too screwed up!"

She rolled her eyes, and pulled his arms out of the way, "Not to worry, Dip. I got this." The lanky teen licked her palms and started to shuffle through his thick brown-covered scalp.

"Yuck! You're getting spit in my hair!"

"So what? Spit is nature's styling gel! Now, quit squirming around! I'm almost done…"

"Can you make sure that my – _you know_ – isn't showing?"

"Fine, fine! I'll keep it covered…"

Wendy took a few paces back. Dipper's newly-styled hair was now the neatest that she could ever recall seeing the untamed tresses.

"Perfect…"

She flew besides him, kneeling down so that they appeared to be at equal height. Wendy wrapped her left arm around his now-flannel covered right one. Digging around in her jean pockets, the fifteen-year-old pulled out her digital camera and held it out in front of them as humanly possible.

"Say cheesecake!"

*CLICK!* *FLASH!*

After being blinded by the flash temporarily, Wendy flipped the camera around as she and Dipper looked at the results in the viewfinder.

_Standing head-to-head in matching flannel outfits, the happy couple faced the world as the sun set into the distance over Lake Gravity Falls. Wendy gave off a tooth-filled grin as she happily clutched her boyfriend close. Her green-gem necklace shone from around her neck. In contrast, Dipper smirked in content, his brown eyes focused not on the camera inches from his face, but rather the overly-excited ginger at his side._

"Wow! Look at us!" She pulled the sight closer. "We look so cute! And check that out!" Wendy pointed at his chin, "_The shadow makes it look like you have a baby goatee going there_!"

Even Dipper had to admit that the result was worth the effort. "Yeah," he played with his new hairdo, "I really liked what you did up here! _It does make me look older for some reason…"_

Seeing his changed attitude, Wendy hugged him tighter and gently kissed his forehead.

_"Told ya so…"_

* * *

After the criminals were returned to the Gravity Falls Correctional Facility, the Warden, still ripe with embarrassment for being used in the awful plot, handed down to Lil' Gideon the harshest punishment ever given to a young inmate: _an entire month in solitary confinement_.

However, the mastermind figured that his wicked plan might end in defeat. For this, he kept a contingency plan at the back of his mind. Once he knew he was truly alone, the chubby telepathic scraped away the buildup of white wax he had hidden beneath his fingernails, using it to form a thin circle in the center of his cell.

Gideon fell to his knees inside the loop as he started to recite the incantation that he had set to memory, _"Triangulum, entangulum. Veneforis dominus ventium. Veneforis venetisarium!"_ His eyes started to glow a neon blue as the wax ring lit ablaze.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

A second circle of flame formed against the brick wall of Gideon's cell as the wicked demon known as Bill Cipher was brought forth onto the earthly plane once more. As the monster took in its new surrounding, it spotted its former business partner on the ground.

"Oh, it's you again…" Bill hovered over the fallen clairvoyant, "How'd you end up in this place, kid? You steal some extra buns from the buffet or something like that?"

"Hehe…" Gideon played along with the powerful imp, "It's funny you should say that…"

"Lemme guess…" Bill spun his tiny black cane, "You want me to get you outta here, huh? Sorry, kid. You're a bad business risk. I have too many important plans going on to get you mixed up in – "

"Actually," the nine-year-old interrupted, "That's why I brought you here." He pressed a stout hand against his chest, "I feel bad about breaking our previous agreement, and to make amends, I wish to give you a gift…"

"A gift?" Bill's singular eye widened in response, "What could you possibly give me than I don't already have?"

"_Knowledge_…" Gideon stood back up, and paced, with his hands folded against his back, "I take it you are familiar with an old acquaintance of mine, Dipper Pines?"

"Dipper…" The triangle's yellow coloring faded away, displaying a realistic image of the boy in mention, "Heck, I'd say he's just as much a pain in my neck as you are…"

"Well, I have him to thank for my current …_situation_…and for this, I wanted to share some info with you, hoping that in the right hands, will get him out of our hair once and for all!" A sly grin spread across his white, flabby cheeks, "And I figure that someone with your…particular brand of mischief would be the best choice to exploit such a thing…"

"Hmm…" Bill dove down to Gideon's level, as a giant ear shot out of his three-sized body, stopping inches before hitting his chubby mouth.

_"Tell me more…"_


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – The Third Day**

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"Huh?"

Wendy awoke from her daydream as she had become lost staring at the young woman in front of her. Long red hair streamed to absolute perfection traveled down her backside; it had been set and parted just above her brow. Bright green eyes were brought out through a dark eye shadow. She had opted not to use fake eyelashes, choosing relying on her naturally thin ones. Her red eyebrows had been neatly (but painfully) plucked as her thin lips constantly smacked in an attempt to spread her lipstick evenly.

Her overall appearance was beautiful, in spite of her insistence that everything would be kept as simple as possible. She had refused a traditional veil, not wanting anything to block her face. Instead, a single white rose had been placed right above her right grey-studded ear. She had no need for blush, since her freckled face was already redden and flushed from the overall stress of the day. The cherished green pendant still remained tied around her slender neck, solemnly ever removed from the spot since the day she received the gift.

A long, ruffled layered colorless dress covered her lanky form. She had chosen a strap-less outfit, deciding on having one that would be held up using her natural endowment (much to her father's dismay). While she adored the outfit, it was annoying that she had to hold up the dress as she walked in order to avoid piercing it with her shoes.

Such had been part of their compromise. She had forgone her dream ceremony on a beach (where she could tread comfortably in her bare feet), agreeing on a tiny chapel in the hillside with a small crowd in attendance; a fact that slightly angered both set of parents. In return, she picked a pair of white pumps that allowed her to once again tower over her beloved, just as it was in the _good old days_.

To her, the mild discomfort and aching arches would be well worth it just to see the surprised look on his face. She chuckled at the infinite possibilities…

Wendy looked away from the mirror to face the brown-haired young adult behind her. Her friend had grown so much over the last few years, trigging memories of when the girl could barely reach her waist. Now, the energetic wonder was just a shade shorter than her. Donning a light-pink dress, her hair was pinned tightly into a little bun.

"Oh, I know what's going on," Mabel reached out as she teased in a sing-song voice, "_I think someone's tootsies are freezing…_"

The lumberjack princess took one last look at the mirror before turning around completely, "I don't have cold feet! It's just that – this is gonna sound weird, but something just popped into my head…" Her eyes widened, "I was thinking about that time when that Gideon creep set Dipper up and sent his goons after me."

Mabel stopped fidgeting, "Oh, I remember that!" Her tone changed to one more serious, "It's funny. I've seen him go up against every form of ghoulie and monster out there, and yet, I don't think I've ever seen him as scared as I did that day…"

Wendy sighed, "Yeah, I know. It's weird. It happened so long ago, _but for some reason, it feels like it was just yesterday…_"She flashed an embarrassed smile, "Not the best thing to have floating in your mind on the most important day of your life, is it?"

Her younger charge waved away the concern, "Don't worry about that stuff! It's all in the past! You guys have been through so much, and got through it by sticking together!" Mabel wrapped her arm around Wendy and spun her around, as they looked at their reflections together.

"You love him, right?"

"Of course I do!"

"You'd do anything to protect him, keep him safe, and make him happy? The same way he'd do for you?"

"Without question…"

Mabel grinned a perfect smile; the end result of wearing her braces for countless years, "Well, what else is there to consider?"

The redhead let out a relieved sigh, "Thanks, Mabel…"

She hugged the concerned woman with every fiber of her being, "Don't mention it…_soon-to-be-sister-in-law…_" With her job soon, Mabel took her leave, offering a small wave before closing the door behind her.

Wendy once again faced her future before biding her mirror image and the remnants of her old life farewell. With her matching white rose bouquet in hand, her thoughts switched to that of her co-maid of honor. Originally, she had appointed the title to her best friend Tambry, but the gothic hipster did nothing more than her regular regimen of texting on her phone endlessly and hanging out with her boyfriend. Knowing how much Mabel wanted the role, she offered it to the over-excited grown pixie on the condition that she maintained the motif of being something easy and simple, avoiding anything that could be considered tacky or flashy. Even with the short amount of time given, Mabel was true to her word. The secluded chapel was promptly decorated with care, abiding to Wendy's wish.

Taking another deep heave, Wendy clutched the door handle tightly and pulled it open. She looked down the hallway to see the last of the attendees being shuttered behind two closing doors. Across the hall, Wendy noted that the entrance of the men's dressing room was left ajar. She peeked inside, caring less about older traditions about bad luck, to find that her partner in crime was already gone.

"Hmm…he must be already inside…"

Taking careful step after careful step, Wendy thought about Mabel's words, reflecting on how much her life had changed since the summer that they had met. Fall had come and they were forced to part ways. However, each was true to their word and maintain contact anyway they could. Waiting for one another through secret late-night phone calls, contact e-mails, IMs, and texts, and even the occasional, old-fashion hand-written letter soon became the norm.

An almost-electric energy came flowing through towards the start of each summer. She beamed as she remembered the first time she was allowed with stay with the Pines family in Piedmont instead of the other way around; the shocked looks on their parents' faces as they spotted the super-tall, mud-stained gingered girl standing on their doorstep anxiously rubbing the back of her head.

_"Um…Hi! Is Dipper home?"_

As time passed, both grew older, now able to get their hands on their own cars, making the visits between California and Oregon more than purely seasonal. High School and College had flown by before they realized it. All of this led to Wendy being whisked away on an impromptu mountainside picnic lit by moonlight, where she was asked the most important question she ever would hear in her life…

Just as she approached the double wooden doors, a huge shadow eclipsed over her, making her turn around in surprise. The humongous lumberjack Manly Dan stood before his daughter with an uncomfortable expression on his bearded face. Old age had turned his thick red hair to a near-pinkish tone (though no one had the courage to tell the elder giant the truth face-to-face). He scratched and itched through the restrictive dress clothing Wendy had selected for him.

"Darn suit!" he grumbled as he fiddled against the tightness constricting around his bulging body, "I feel so out of place in this thing!"

Wendy set down her bouquet and loosened his tie, "Well, like it or lump it, mister! If I can manage my way in these blasted heels, I think you'll survive a few hours like this!"

Manly Dan let out a deep breath, "Thanks…" His dark eyes rolled as he changed the subject, "You know, it's not too late to call this whole thing off…"

"What?!"

"…and there's plenty of great, strapping young men back at your cousin's logging camp…"

"Dad!" Wendy exclaimed aloud, throwing her hands in the air. The two have had the exact same argument several times in the past. "You're doing this now?! _On my wedding day_?!" Her voice lowered as she nudged her shoulder towards the close door. "And I don't want any of those other guys…_I want him_…"

"But, Wendy! He's such a scrawny little string bean!" The brute used his fingers to demonstrate his future son in law's size. "Isn't there any way you'd reconsider – "

He stopped in mid-sentence as he looked down to see his daughter giving him a pouting look – the same look that his own wife used to give him all those years ago. A sense of guilt and remorse quickly overcame him.

"Still…" He ran his fingers through his beard as he continued on, "I know that boy would stop at nothing to ensure your safety and happiness. I guess that has to count for something. Y'know, an inner strength, I suppose…"

With her flowers in hand, Wendy crossed her arms, "So…are you cool, now?"

Manly Dan nodded at her request.

She stuck out her arm with her elbow pointed outwards, "Ready to give me away?"

"D'oh! Did you really have to say it like that?"

Wendy gave her father a toothy grin, "It's like I said earlier: "_like it or lump it, mister!"_

Arm in arm, the Corduroys walked through the double doors as the wedding march theme heightened. Wendy looked to her left and right to see that every guest in the room rose to their feet as she passed down the carpeted aisle. Gasps echoed through the great hall. Tears were shed. Whispers lingered in her ears, _"She looks heavenly…"_

Wendy was escorted by her father to the front of the altar. A short, bifocal-wearing minister, garbed entirely in black stood at the center of the row. Mabel and Tambry waited for her on the left hand side in matching dresses, the latter tapping away at her smart phone. A quick love tap from the elder Pines twin reminded her to put away the phone and pay attention to the matter at hand.

On her right, the stout, loyal handyman of the Mystery Shack stood proudly in his role of Best Man. Soos wiped the mixture of sweat and tears away from his portly face, accidentally messing up his finely-parted brown hair. He met Wendy eye-to-eye, offered a smile, and gently pated the pocket in which their wedding bands resided safely.

Standing right next to him, stood her husband-to-be. Dressed in a thin and fitting black tuxedo, the young man refused to take his brown eyes off of the immaculate display in front of him. His somewhat curly hair had been perfectly tamed due to an endless amount of hair gel. His dreaded birthmark had been covered up with a thin layer of makeup, much to Wendy's dismay. A thinning, yet finely trimmed goatee was spread beneath his chin.

The portrayal presented before her reminded Wendy of the one permanently captured in her favorite photograph, taken their very first summer together against the fading sunset on Lake Gravity Falls. And yet, here he was; _Dipper Pines himself_, as she had always viewed him in her mind's eye; a fantasy brought to life.

The preacher opened his tome and proceeded to read the starting passage: "Dearly Beloved…"

Wendy gazed back at Dipper, amazed by how much he had grown and filled out over the years, just barely edging her out in height. Their eyes met, making her notice how red and puffy Dipper's had become in the last few minutes. She sniggered under her breath, before breaking eye-contact; if she was to keep staring, the ginger knew that she would break out into tears as well.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

After a moment of awkward silence, Wendy turned back to her dad, giving him a quick jab to the chest with her elbow.

"Oh! I – I do…"

With a sense of hesitation, he took his daughter's tiny hand in his. With his free arm, he reached over and grabbed Dipper roughly by the wrist, yanking the poor young man off balance. With a stern look and an almost-silent grunt, Manly Dan brought the two hands together, watching them intertwine at the first touch, before bowing out and heading towards his designated seat in the front row.

Placed side by side, the fiancées stood shoulder to shoulder as the priest went on with the proceedings. Even though their eyes faced forward, the couple murmured back and forth, taking care down to interrupt the speaker.

"You're late…"

Wendy's mouth was left agape, "After all these years of letting you slide, you're going to call me out here and now?"

"Maybe…"

She tried to hide her sniffles, "It –It looks like I won the bet, huh?"

"Wait, what?!"

"I saw you when I walked up, Dipper! You cried first! That means I win!"

"No way! You were crying, too! You're *SOB* You're crying right now!"

Wendy wiped her eyes, trying her best not to smear her makeup, "You – You can't prove anything…"

Dipper analyzed her from head to toe, noticing the extra inches his girlfriend had gained. He rolled his eyes, "You just had to wear those things, didn't you?"

The redhead shrugged her shoulders, "Hey, it would be nice to be "_the tall one_" one last time…"

She felt him squeeze her hand tighter, "All joking aside, you look incredible. Like my greatest dreams come true!"

Her emerald eyes quickly closed, preventing more tears from streaming down her face, "You're not too bad yourself, _my big ol' dork…_"

They focused on the preacher, who went along with the prayer session. Both were eager to present each other with their own handwritten vows specifically made for one another.

"I stand before this couple this day to unite them in the bonds of matrimony. If there by anyone present that may present just and lawful cause why these two individuals may not be lawfully wed, let him speak now or forever hold his peace…"

*SLAM!*

The double doors behind them were thrown open. Out of natural reflex, Dipper stood in front of Wendy, shoulders raised, yet still clutching her hand tightly, ready for any crazy thing that came their way.

A bright light filled the room as a lone figure stood in the open doorway. It sported an over-draping pasty gown that reached to the floor. Long, dark red hair flowed freely, as if it was defying gravity itself. Dark green eyes scanned the area until locking on the bride and groom standing before their family and friends.

Wendy narrowed her eyes, trying to make out who exactly the stranger visitor was. As the light died down, the specter was revealed to be an auburn-haired woman with a dimpled, freckled-face that reminded her of her own.

Manly Dan rose from his seat, his hardened look was instantly melted away at the sight at the end of the hall, _"It can't be!"_

The bride moved past Dipper while still maintaining her embrace. With the confirmation given by her father, she called out into the distance, _"Mom?!"_

The woman beamed and gave her daughter a simple nod. Wendy took a step forward, accidentally spilling her bouquet over the floor, only to have the intruder take off in a hurry as the double doors started to close behind her.

"MOM! WAIT!" Wendy went to go after her, only to find herself halted. She glanced back to see that Dipper still held her hand tightly, confusion and concern spread across his face.

_"Wait for me, okay? I'm sorry, but I have to know!"_

He understood, wanting nothing but his blushing bride to be content. He released his grip and watched Wendy bolt back up the aisle, throwing open the doors with both arms. She looked around the greeting hall, searching for any sign of the mysterious double.

_"This has to be some sort of sick joke, right?_" Wendy asked herself, _"I mean, she's been gone for so long, so how can this be?!"_

Her emerald eyes spotted the front door of the chapel closing shut ever so slowly. With a hint on where to go next, Wendy sprinted down the hall as the high heels started to wobble underneath her, throwing her off-balance. With an annoyed growl, she kicked off the troublesome shoes, preferring to continue the chase barefoot.

"MOM!" Wendy opened the entrance, peering into the luscious green world outside. She could see a meger shadow fading into the horizon in front of her. Not to give up so easily, the young adult flew from the top step, jumping over the remaining steps even with dress in tow. Pain rose as she landed on the balls of her feet, but she went onwards, not willing to be deterred from her goal.

"WAIT! MOM!" She ran as fast as could after the stranger. As she accelerated into the distance, the surreal natural backdrop surrounding her became a colorful blur. Seconds later, Wendy found herself in a bleak, barren world similar in nature to a dried-up desert. The cracked ground became blanketed in a cloud of white dust as Wendy tore through the land at an alarming speed.

Just as she was about the close the distance between her and the stranger, something reached up from the earth and seized Wendy's bare feet firmly, bringing her to a complete stop.

"Huh?"

The girl tore away portions from her dress to get a better look on her legs. She had appeared to step into what seemed to be a thick, beige liquid. She lifted her feet from the gunk, watching in horror as strands of the slime adhered to her soles. The substance stretched itself out, matching her heaves and kicks before yanking her back into place.

_"No!"_

Without taking her eyes of the shadow fading into the distance, Wendy wrapped both hands on her right ankle and pulled up as hard as she could. The glop pinched at her sensitive foot skin, forcing her to grit her teeth to fight the pain. She had to get free before it was too late!

Oddly enough, the goo shortened its length, growing tauter before forcing the pale foot back down into the muck. A sense of panic formed in Wendy's chest as she quickly tested her left leg, finding that she was now barely able to pry the entrapped ped from the sticky ground. Tears started to form in her eyes out of pure frustration and anguish.

_"What is this stuff?! Why won't it let me go?! It's like some kind of glue or something!"_

Finding that she was completely trapped, unable to move a single inch from her current positioning, Wendy yelled at the top of her lungs as the feeling of claustrophobia started to weigh in tighter on her slender frame, hoping that the stranger seemingly forever in the remoteness would be able to hear her message:

_"Mom! Please! Come back! Something's – Something's wrong! Mom! Don't leave me again! Please!"_

Unknown to the struggling bride, a sinister entity eagerly watched from the sky, rubbing its black, stick-like hands together in delight.

"Perfect…" the dream demon known as Bill Cipher mused, "Now, all I have to do is wait…"

* * *

"And that's when we called you…"

"Hmm…" Dipper Pines examined his unconscious beau. The two had parted ways hours earlier, choosing not to camp out outdoors due to rumors of rain during the twilight hours. The tween had waited all morning for her call, only to find himself a bit unnerved by her silence. He knew something was up when he didn't get as much as a "Good Morning" text from her. Wendy lied in her handmade, wooden-carved bed, her comforter and blankets brought down to waist level. Her cotton, white tank top was drenched with perspiration.

He leaned forward and held the back of his hand against Wendy's freckled cheek. Her skin had turned a shade whiter than usual. Beads of ice cold sweat flowed from her brow. The young detective never felt so helpless as he could do nothing but watch his sweetheart randomly quiver in distress as she quietly moaned under her breath, "_No…no…stop…"_

Dipper turned away from her to quiz her siblings further, "And you guys said you found Wendy like this?"

The oldest brother stepped forward, "Yeah. We knew that she had the day off, so we figured that she was just sleepin' in…"

Wendy's middle brother spoke up next, "But then we heard her groaning all freaky-like. We tried everything that we could to wake her up, but she won't budge!" He let out a nervous laugh, "I mean, Wendy's always been a deep sleeper, but not like this…"

Her youngest sibling concluded, "We can't get a hold of the town doctor, and Dad's gone for the day. The earliest we'd be able to tell him what's going on would be later tonight. Wendy always said if anything weird was to happen and we needed help, you would be the person to call.

Dipper's cheeks grew a bit blushed in spite of the concern at hand, "Well, um, thanks, but to be honest, I'm not sure how exactly to help her…" Very carefully, he held up Wendy's eyelid, revealing a widened green eye that didn't respond in the slightest to light or his moments. "The best we can do for the moment is to make her as comfortable as possible." He spun back around, "We're going to need some dry sheets and a moist washcloth for her forehead…"

The three Corduroy boys disappeared into the other rooms of the secluded cabin in search of the items Dipper requested. Now left alone with his girlfriend, the boy returned his attention to Wendy. He picked up her hand, feeling her slow-paced pulse through his fingertips.

"Wendy…" he whispered, "What's going on with you?" Dipper couldn't put his finger on it, but his gut told him that this was definitely something out of the ordinary. "Did you catch some nasty bug, or maybe…"

The huge, rigid lump residing in the left vest pocket only added to his worry, "You – You weren't messing around with the Journal, were you?" His imagination raced; what if she had accidentally triggered some sort of ancient incantation from the tome when he wasn't looking?

Unsure of what to think, Dipper sat at Wendy's side and reached over to her nightstand. He turned off her lamp in an effort to make her state more pleasant, figuring that shining a huge light right in front of her face was probably the last thing she needed at the moment.

A thin layer of sunshine flowed in through the window to their right. A sense of much-needed coolness entered the room. Dipper glanced back at Wendy, offering nothing but a brave smile at the downed ginger. He went to give her an encouraging kiss on her forehead, when he froze in terror at the horrid sight hovering above Wendy's bed.

The familiar silhouette of a large triangle wearing a tall hat appeared on the wall over his best friend. Thin arms and legs stuck out of the equilateral shape. An oval-shaped eyeball formed in the center of the figure; a small dot represented its pupil. As Dipper raised his sights to the peculiarity, the figure actually _blinked_ at him, making sure that he was spotted.

Dipper pulled back as a horrified gasp escaped his lips.

"Oh, man! Oh, man! Oh, man! He's back! And Wendy's trapped in there with him!" The boy could never forget what madness Bill Cipher unleashed while inside of his great-uncle's mind nor when he was tricked into letting the imp taking over his body. He didn't even want to imagine what possible tortures the monster was afflicting on his favorite redhead.

All he knew was he had to act – FAST!

"GUYS! GUYS!"

The three brothers rushed into the room, their arms filled with supplies. "What is it?"

Dipper's lip faulted as he struggled to put his stress into words, "I - I think I know what's wrong, but I need your help again!"

"What?!"

"The number you called to get a hold of me? Dial it again, and ask for my sister, Mabel. Tell her what happened here and for her to meet us as soon as possible!"

"And what are you going to do?"

He pulled the Journal #3 out of his jacket and flipped it open to the necessary passage.

"Whatever I have to!"

As soon as the boys left the room, Dipper placed his hand on Wendy's forehead and recited the spell on the page:

_"Videntus omnium. Magister mentium. Magnesium ad homineum. Magnum opus…"_

Dipper's eyes started to glow an eerie blue that filled the entire bedroom.

_"…Habeas corpus! Inceptus Nolanus overratus! Magister mentium! Magister mentium! MAGISTER MENTIUM!"_

An azure light flashed before Dipper's eyes. As soon as his vision returned, he found himself standing before the twisted-dream version of the Mystery Shack once again. He walked around with his hands cupped over his mouth, calling out for his lost love.

"WENDY?!" He stumbled towards the dilapidated cabin, "WENDY?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

_"This doesn't make any sense…"_ Dipper pondered, _"If I'm in Wendy's mind, then why I am back at the Shack?"_

"Because you aren't in her mind, Pine Tree! You're still in your sub-consciousness!"

Dipper easily recognized the wicked cackle that filled the faux-grey air. He spun around on his heels, trying to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

"Where is she, Bill?" he demanded. "What have you done with Wendy?"

"Who, me?" the voice of the triangular menace rung through the depressing scenery, "I haven't done anything…_yet_. And as for Ol' Red, let's say that she found herself in a sticky situation while trying to find an old friend of hers…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Anyways, I'm having a lot of fun watching things unfold. Y'know, your fat buddy Gideon was right…"

"Gideon?!" Dipper questioned, "What does he have to do with anything?"

Bill started to explain, the darkened sky thundered as his nasally voice boomed, "After you had blubber butt tossed in the pokey, he summoned me and taught me an extremely valuable lesson; and here I always thought the best way to mess with a person was up close and personal. Little did I know how much more intense and exciting it is when you _pluck at a human's heartstrings and make them watch helplessly!"_

Enraged, Dipper pointed towards the sky, "I'm not helpless! I've stopped you before, and I'll do it again!"

"Oh-ho-ho! Someone's got his big-boy pants on today!" The front door of the pseudo-Mystery Shack swung open as a scream came forth:

"STOP! PLEASE STOP!"

"WENDY!" Every hair on Dipper's body stood upright as he raced towards the opening. The mocking laughter of Bill Cipher followed him as he entered the building, "Good luck finding her, kid! You're gonna need it!"

Dipper stopped a few feet in, looking around at the incredibly abstract world laid out in front of him. An infinite amount of windows floated in and out of the darkened, torn-apart Gift Shop, offering flashes of different, reoccurring memories, showing the tiny hero at his best and his worst. He stepped down the misshaped staircase, looking for any sign of where to go next.

A series of light-hearted giggles flooded the atmosphere, trying a great weight from his shoulders. He dashed down the hall to see that the imagery in the walls had changed. Nearly every window now reflected a favorite memory that he shared with his Wendy: racing through the woods at break-neck speeds on the Mystery Carts, making goofy faces at her, just to hear her addictive laughter, running side by side in a hurry as a misadventure took a sour turn.

Dipper followed her voice until he stopped at the latest memory: their moonlight dance at Lookout Point. He stopped and smiled at the memory; a brief relief to the nightmarish situation he had found himself in.

"Well, I didn't think it was possible," Bill interrupted the peace, "But I guess someone can get "ginger on the brain!"

The boy ignored the taunts, choosing to focus on the positivity illuminating from the scene portrayed before him.

"She really is _that_ important to you, isn't she?"

Dipper turned away from the memory, looking towards the direction where the voice came from. A simple light bulb hanging overhead lit up a hallway filled with sloppily-labeled doorways.

"More than anyone like you or Gideon could ever know…"

The door at the end of the hallway flew open. "What would you be willing to do to prove that?"

_"Anything I could…"_

"We'll see…"

Dipper tiptoed into the corridor, reminded of the layout found within his great-uncle's mind as he and his friends searched for the secret combination to his iron-cast safe. The other difference was that every passageway that been marked in his name!

"Let's see…" he studied every closed door to his left and right, "…we've got my hopes, my dreams, my anxieties, my most embarrassing moments…(he noted said particular door had been bolted down tightly).

"And that leaves…"

He read the sign mounted on the lone door left ajar at the end of the hallway, _"Dipper's fears…"_

The door squeaked further open as Dipper faltered for a split second, unaware of what fate awaited him ahead. "Oh, come on, kid!" Bill goaded him, "I thought you said "_anything_?" Don't let me – _or her_ down!"

Rage and anger soon replaced his uncertainty. With a renewed sense of courage, Dipper walked through the doorway and slammed the door shut behind him. He could hear a locking mechanism click, ensuring that there was no going back.

Dipper raised his head to see that he was now standing in a very long and narrow hallway. Built without any windows or side openings, the path was freshly decorated with dark paint, thick drapery, and countless articles of old-fashioned, padded furniture. The furnishing reminded Dipper of something that reminded him of something out of the Victorian era.

He trotted forward, examining every possible angle, unaware of where the next threat was going to leap out at him. Huge mirrors were embedded into the wall; the reflection of his own worn-out visage served as a reminder of his own morality.

All of a sudden, a cold chill was sent down his spine the joyful laughter of small children ricocheted through the walkway. His eyes turned to saucers as he spotted it an endless amount of wooden puppets sat upon numerous rows of well-sanded shelving that gave the impression of stretching on until forever.

"_Puppets_…" Dipper cursed, "_Why did it have to be puppets?_" He took a deep gulp, setting his mind's eye on his missing girlfriend, and set off towards the end of the hallway. The pre-teen focused on what was directly in front of him, as if felt like all of the marionettes' eyes followed along as he walked past.

"So, tell me, brat," Bill's presence invaded the mindscape once more, "What is it that makes her so special? I can't understand it; why is she worth going through all of this trouble?"

"Leave me alone!" Dipper persisted, despite the hallway stretching well into the blurred distance, "Besides, someone as heartless as you couldn't possibly understand…"

"Oh, I beg to differ…" As if by magic, a freckled doll garbed in long red hair, a brown trapper hat, and a green-plaid lumberjack's outfit floated from one of the shelves, stopping a few inches in order of Dipper's face. He reached out for the Wendy-puppet with both hands, only to have it pulled away before he could seize it.

"So, what is it, Pine Tree?" Bill asked again, as the ginger doll shook wildly, "Is it the smile or the hair or…_other places_…?"

"It's more than that!" Dipper swiped the air, "You make it sound like Wendy's just a body! She's my best friend! She doesn't see me as a freak, like the rest of the world does! We have the same interests! The same favorite things in life! The same sense of humor! And yet, we're different, but that makes it more exciting. It's like we can each show one another a brand new world!"

"Oh, I see, it's an emotional thing…" Another puppet, this time, molded as Dipper's mirror image, flew from the opposite side and stopped right in front of his stuffed counterpart. "But, if you were to ask me, it seems like you are nothing more than…"

A nearly invisible set of strings were wrapped around the Dipper-doll's limbs, leading back to the Wendy-doll's right hand, _"her little puppet! _Anywhere she goes, you follow like a good lap dog!"

"You're wrong! Sure, she gets me into a ton of trouble, but I do the same! We're partners in crime! We split the blame and the excitement! We're willing to share our lives together! That's what's important! That's what matters in life!"

"And how are you so sure she feels the same? Do you really think Wendy would fight her way to your side on a moment's notice?"

A memory flashed before Dipper's eyes. Before he knew it, he found himself back in the shapeshifter's lair amongst the Author's abandoned bunker. The gigantic beast had him pinned against a corner. His knees nearly buckled as he held the Journal against his body. All seemed to be lost until _she_ appeared from out of the shadows. Her face scraped. Her knuckles bled. Her wounded shin had been hasty bandaged shut using pieces of a torn green flannel. Her white shirt completely soiled with dirt, dust, and blood. A handheld axe spun wildly through the fingers of her left hand, until she expertly griped the handle, bringing it to a complete stop. Her other arm pulled back, stopping right before Dipper's chest.

With her booted feet firmly planned into the dirt, Wendy turned around with a grim, yet serious expression on her face, _"Stay close to me, okay?" _She returned her attention to the threat before them, making it clear that no one was to lay a hand on "her boy" without going through her first.

Dipper shook his head clear, returning back to semi-reality. _"She already has …"_ he answered the nightmarish specter hiding out of sight, _"…and would as many times as needed; the same way I would for her!"_

The marionette duo faded away into the darkness. "You know what, kid? I think you might be right: I have no idea what in the heck you're talking about! Man, oh, man! You humans are a weird bunch!"

At long last, Dipper came to the end of the hallway. The heavy, chipped door blocking his exit unlocked itself, opening a few inches of its own accord. He hurried past it and banged the door close. With an exhausted wheeze, Dipper sunk down against it in an effort to catch his breath.

"Oh, tired already? But you're halfway there!"

"Where am I now?"

Bill replied, "You are in the bridge way between your mind and hers…"

"Somehow," Dipper coughed, "I doubt you'd make easy…"

"You guessed right, my Pine Tree…"

"HELP! DIPPER! HELP!"

The familiar tone echoing through the new area sent Dipper scrambling to his feet. "WENDY?! I'M HERE! WHERE - ?"

He choked on his words at the sight set up before him. Once more, he found himself in between two walls filled with moving imagery. He peered into the first window, recoiling at the sight within the bubble.

Wendy was strapped down hand and foot to a huge table as a sharpen pendulum swung back and forth above her torso. Her widened green eyes followed the every movement of the blade as it was lowered inch by inch.

"Hang on, Wendy!" Dipper shouted as he prepared to throw himself through the portal to her rescue, "I'm on my way!"

"IS ANYBODY THERE?! LEMME OUT OF THIS THING! PLEASE!"

"What in the heck?" the little liberator followed the sound of the scream to the pane directly behind him. He looked inside to see that Wendy had been placed inside something like an iron maiden torture device from medieval times. A loop of steel chains had been wrapped around her entire slender body, from shoulders to ankles, preventing her from making the slightest movement. Dipper watched her struggle in vain as the front of the device began to slowly close shut, eventually forcing her back towards the pointy spikes waiting behind her.

"How the – _there's two of them?!_" His stomach turned as he was reminded of their close call with the vicious shapeshifter. Dipper soon heard Wendy's voice calling out for him from every window!

"It…It wasn't an echo; _she's inside every single one!"_ Dipper rotated around the room, seeing that within the various gateways, his main squeeze was moments away from falling victim to some sort of ghastly peril!

The next panel featured the inside of a logging processing plant, similar to what where Manly Dan Corduroy delivered the fruits of his lumberjacking duties. Dipper found Wendy helplessly bound to a gigantic timber as it made its way down a speedy conveyor belt. A series of spinning buzzsaws waited at the end of the trail, ready to shred both into splinters.

"DIPPER!" she called out, wiggling her head side to side. "I'M IN HERE! YOU GOTTA HURRY!"

Another Wendy made her presence known from across the room. Strangely enough, her howls were cut off by a stomach-turning gurgling sound, prompting him to rush to the source. Inside of the bubble, he spotted the ferocious redhead thrashing about violently on a secluded beach in the middle of nowhere. Tied spread-eagle to stakes hammered into the sand, wave after wave of ice-cold water splashed on top of the fully-clothed teenager, forcing her to cough and gag in order to gain access to precious oxygen.

"SOMEBODY?! *ACK! ACK!* IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?! THE TIDE'S COMING IN! I DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT!"

Dipper stepped back from the horrifying sights as his temples began to throb. Dozens of Wendy Courdoys pleaded with him to come help them with their respective plights. He held his hands over his ears as the sound of hearing his own name shrieked in agony rang painfully in his head.

"What is this?! I – I don't know what to do! Which one do I save?"

"That's the thing, kiddo! _You only get one!"_

Dipper lowered his hands, "What do you mean, Bill? I don't understand!"

"It's like this: only one of these Reds is the real one. You guess right, and you'll join her in her subconscious, where you'll get your chance to play the big hero! Choose the wrong Wendy, and you'll be trapped in the space between realities, where I'll have the pleasure of tormenting you two for all eternity!"

The lad took a deep gulp, realizing that his next choice would probably be the most important one he'd ever have to make.

"What's the matter? I thought that this is what this true love stuff was all about? Y'know, being able to find each other through any obstacle that comes your way?" The demon's voice reached a deeper tenor, "Choose wisely, Pine Tree! _Both your lives depend on it!"_

Starting at the beginning, Dipper paced himself, taking a brief peek inside of each chamber, trying his best to ignore the dreadful predicaments of his girlfriend's doppelgangers.

"They're not real…they're not real…_at least except for one of them_…"

Upon reaching the new set of thresholds, Dipper looked to his left to see a form of Wendy chained to a slanted table as a laser beam traveled upwards between her legs. The girl trembled as sweat poured down her brow. Her hands and feet wriggled fruitlessly against their metal restraints. The whole scenario reminded him of something out a bad secret agent movie.

"All that's missing is a fat, balding bad guy sitting the corner of the room while petting a kitten…" he mumbled under his breath.

On the right, he watched as two more scenarios played out. On the left-hand side, Wendy was trapped in a form of dungeon taken from the days of the Marquis de Sade. She had been locked into a set of heavy ankle stocks. Her arms had been shackled high above her head. Her trademark muddy lumberjack boots and orange-red plaid socks were left discarded on the floor, leaving the teenager in bare feet. Two muscle-bound, shirtless brutes, each donning black executioner-style masks, stood on each side of the immobilized girl with a large, white fluffy feather in hand. One torturer ran his plume up and down her exposed armpits, while the other held his weaponry against Wendy's soles, making her buck and flex from within the pillory. All eight of her digits twitched in anguish wildly. An iron padlock banged loudly against the wood paneling, insuring that she had no chance of escape.

"AH! AH, DIPPER – HAHAHAHA!" Her freckled face turned a beet-red as tears ran down her dimpled cheeks. She let out a plea mixed up within a series of loud guffaws. "GET ME OUTTA HERE! THEY'RE TICKLING ME TO DEATH-AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Dipper came across to the other side to see a magic show gone awry. Wendy was sealed inside of an old-fashioned magician's box. Her head and hands stuck out of the top end while her feet poked out from the other side. As if guided by an invisible hand, a fine-toothed-saw hovered above the box, only to dig into the top of the structure a few moments later. The redhead let out a scream as Dipper could hear her elbows and knees loudly bang from within the hollowed structure. She twisted and turned her wrists, hoping that a stubby finger would be able to reach the nearby latch that would let her out of the box. A pair of metal manacles had been secured around her booted ankles, preventing Wendy from pulling her limber legs inside and out of harm's way; the taunting *KLANG-KLANG-KLANG* sound that followed each kick served as a reminder of how dire her circumstance truly was.

"Huh…" Dipper held a hand against his chin, _"I don't know why, but for some reason, those last two seem awfully familiar…"_ He closed his eyes and pinched his nose as the flashing colors and ever-changing surroundings started to get to him.

"This is hopeless!" he lamented. _"I'm not going to get anywhere this way! I have to think! There's got to be something that my Wendy has that none of these copies would!" _

"Time's a-ticking! She isn't going to be around for much longer!"

Growing desperate, Dipper ran up and down the hall, looking for the one thing that truly stood out from all of the other depictions. "Oh, come on! Come on!" At long last, he noticed a difference between the entire group. One bubble in the midst of the rest didn't have any screams or cries for help stemming from it. He stood on his tip-toes to see that this world was one made up of a barren, dried wasteland.

In the center of the frame, another Wendy appeared, and yet, this one was different from the others Dipper had seen. In lieu of her trademark lumberjack gear, this particular ginger wore a dust-covered, ripped-up wedding dress. A withered white rose was planned in her fuzzed-up red hair, just above her right ear. Her face was covered in smeared make-up, as if she had been recently crying. The green pendant he had made for her was still tied around her neck. From the distance, it looked like Wendy was being swallowed up by the soft earth beneath her feet. He watched as she attempted to tug and jerk herself free, grunting and grumbling curse words under her breath with every moment, relying only on her own mettle to break out of the trap rather than begging for help.

_"That's it!"_ Dipper clapped his hands loudly, _"Now, that I think about it, when has Wendy ever asked anybody to "save her?_" If anything, I'd say it'd be the other way 'round!"

Growing more confident in his selection, Dipper climbed into the edge of the window. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and threw himself into the new area. The pint-size sleuth felt gravity start to take its toll, pulling him downwards. He opened his eyes to a constant flash of colors thrown in front of his face.

"Well done!" Bill congratulated from the void, "I'm truly impressed, buddy! I just gotta know; how did you know which one was the real Wendy?"

"Simple…" Dipper prided, "_My Wendy is a_ _natural born_ _fighter_. The last thing I'd ever consider her to be is a clichéd damsel in distress. She'd push back with everything she had before letting you win!"

"Aw, heck!" it regretted, "Why didn't I think of that?! I'd thought you'd pick the girl dressed differently from all of the others! But yeah, I like your reasoning better! I really gotta stop underestimating you, my little _dork-blight-detective_!"

A blinding white light made him cry out as he followed the evil laughter of the dream demon.

"See you soon!"

* * *

*THUD!*

"Ohh…that hurt!"

Dipper clutched the side of his head as he staggered back to his feet. An arid wave of dust and dirt smacked him in the face. The air appeared to be extremely thin, making it hard for him to catch his breath. He held his arms over his face as he continued his search for his companion into the desert.

"WENDY?!" His high-pitched voice rang out over the vacant land. Without hearing a respond, Dipper had no choice but to go on blindly into the distance. After traveling for what felt like forever, he could make out a shining yellow spot wavering in the air.

"And there he is!" Bill Cipher greeted, twirling his black cane with perfect precision, "It's about time you made it here! " He offered a stick-arm into the aloofness, "And at a great time, too! Your "_better half_" is boring me to death!"

Dipper followed his motion to see his Wendy Corduroy a few yards away, persisting in trying to free herself from the strange substance that held her captive, only to be tackled at every turn. She reached out towards the horizon, calling out after a murky shadow speeding into the reserve, "Mom! Mom! I'm still here! Don't go! Please don't go!"

"Man!" Bill chuckled at the sight before him, "This is your great heroine, Pine Tree? I bet this is a wicked wake-up-call, isn't it? You never thought that deep down, your lady friend was nothing more than a lumbering crybaby?" It balled its hands into fists and curled them against his singular eyeball in a mockingly fashion, _"WAAAAHHH! WAAAHHHH! I want my mommy! Mommy, come back!"_

The fiend fell backwards as it exploded with mirth, "AHAHAHAHAHA!"

*ZAP!*

With a single blast from his eyes, Dipper was able to knock the monster out of the sky. Using the infinite power of the mind, the child zoomed into the air with an angry, disgruntled look on his face.

*ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!*

He delivered laser beam after laser beam onto the already-fallen deity, leveling it until its golden color changed to a burnt-black. The triangle went to sit up, only to fall back to the ground with a whimper. With the threat stopped for the moment, Dipper landed safely on the ground and sprinted towards Wendy.

"Mom! Mom!"

"Wendy, wait!"

The girl fought against her binds as she keep at trying to contact her departed loved one, "Mom, please!"

Dipper stood in front of her, only to find that the freckled lumberjack princess didn't even realize that he was right there, "Wendy, listen to me!"

"MOM!"

"WENDY!" He reached out and grabbed both shoulders. "STOP!"

She stopped, her green eyes became refocused on the shouting blurb before her.

"D-Dipper?"

With a sense of relief, Wendy bent down as far as the adhesive would allow her to and tightly embraced her boyfriend. He wrapped his arms around her mid-section, squeezing as hard as he could. The immense pressure that had built up within his small frame finally started to fade away.

"Are you alright?"

"I – I think so…"

The fifteen-year-old pulled back, placing her hands against Dipper's cheeks, "Dipper…what happened to you?" she asked with complete earnest, _"You're little again!"_

"What?!"

"Dipper," Wendy gripped his shoulder-blades, "We have to hurry! My mom's out there somewhere! And this stuff!" She looked down, using a hand to highlight her dilemma as she tried to shuffle her feet, "It won't let me go!"

He followed along with her line of sight, only to discover that _there wasn't anything_ on the earth holding his sweetheart down. Her peds, covered in a thin layer of dust, wiggled back and forth unrestricted.

"Wendy, there isn't anything there!"

She pinched him harder, "What?! Dipper, have you gone blind? How can you not see it?"

He placed his hands on top of hers, "Because it's not really there, Wendy…"

"Dipper, please!" she begged. "You have to help me get out of here! Before my mom – "

"But, she isn't real…"

"DON'T SAY THAT! THAT'S NOT TRUE!" The tears started to swell in her eyes again, "I'VE SEEN HER!"

"You've seen what _he_ wanted you to see!"

"_He_?! Who's he?"

Dipper lowered his head, full of regret at being the person that had to break Wendy's heart yet again, "None of this is real, Wendy," he explained. "We are in your mind, where literally anything is possible! All of you have to do is think about it and – MMPPFFF!"

Wendy gasped in shock as a colossal triangle cyclops wearing a top hat came out of the sky and seized Dipper in its grip. One blackened hand covered his eyes as the other held his mouth shut. It hoisted the unprepared kid into the air, and out of view.

"DIPPER! DIPPER!" The teen knew that he was in a world of trouble, but she couldn't help anyone in her current condition. Wendy looked down at her feet, only to discover that she was now ankle-deep into the muck.

"I gotta get loose before that thing hurts Dipper!" She pondered further, "If only I had like a chisel or something to break myself out of this mess…" As soon as the words left Wendy's lips, her right hand started to tingle, almost like it had fallen asleep. She lifted her arm to her face, finding herself shocked that it had been transformed into a giant mallet.

"How the – " She examined her changed limb from every possible angle, "How did I do that? All I did was think about –" Dipper's words came flowing back _"We are in your mind, where literally anything is possible!_"

"I think I get it…" Wendy set her eyes towards the upper atmosphere as she felt her other hand start to change…

"HHHMMPPPHH!" Dipper tried to scream out as Bill tightened his grip around his head. The blinded pre-teen wiggled his arms and legs rowdily, trying to squirm out of the demon's grasp.

The oversized villain growled as he applied further pressure to the boy's skull, "That cheap shot actually hurt, you little punk! The time for fun and games is over with! This ends down!"

All of a sudden, a hail of machine gun fire came shooting from the surface, striking Bill painfully in the chest. It let go of his hostage, allowing him to plummet to the ground. Dipper shrieked as he fell to the earth, only to be jerked to a stop a moment later.

"Huh?" He raised his head to see the shining green eyes of Wendy Corduroy shining down upon him.

"Hey, there, small fry…"

Without saying a single word, Dipper hugged his rescuer firmly, filling the young adult with a much-needed, long-missed warmth that made her blush.

Holding on each other tightly, the two adolescents zoomed back into the sky as Bill started to recover from the blows he was given.

"Oh, I see…" the triangle rubbed his wounds, "So, you two figured it out, eh? Well, it doesn't matter!" The sky turned a blood red as thunder rolled in. The voice boomed throughout the heavens, "You're still nothing but gnats when compared to me!"

"We'll see about that, creep!"

It swiped towards the duo, "ARRGGH!"

"Split up!"

Wendy and Dipper separated, rotating in circles around of their foe. Dipper used his laser eyes as he flew, sending burn marks all along its back, making Bill howl in pain.

"Laser eyes, huh?" Wendy noted, "I'll give it a shot!"

Soon enough, green beams came worth from her eyes, adding to the collateral damage. The couple laughed, almost like they were playing a game together as they spun around, zapping their nemesis as it tried to swat them away.

"OW! STOP IT! DON'T THINK YOU'LL GET AWAY WITH THIS!"

"Oh," Dipper chuckled, "I beg to differ!" He shouted to Wendy, "Use your biggest blast – NOW!"

The combined lasers of both youngsters quickly overcame the idol, spending it smoking towards the ground. It crashed loudly against the earth, letting out a groan as Bill shrunk back to original size.

Dipper and Wendy landed safety on their feet. He hurried to her side and took her hand, "While he's weakened, picture a portal leading out of your mind!"

Wendy closed her eyes and followed her beau's instructions. Seconds later, a blue and purple vortex formed on the ground beneath where Bill Cipher lied.

"WHAT?! NO!" The dream demon tried to dig its fingers into the dirt, only to find itself unable to stop the flow of the gateway. The team focused their concentration, increasing the force of the inter-dimensional pull. "NO! NOT AGAIN! NOT AGAIN!" Its voice faded away as the flow swallowed him up.

As soon as all traces of the entity vanished from Wendy's mindscape, the portal dissipated into the cracked earth. Seeing that they were victorious, Dipper and Wendy turned and held each other firmly.

"YES!" they exclaimed simultaneously, literally jumping for joy. "WE DID IT! WE DID IT!"

"You were amazing!" Wendy playfully poked Dipper's pink nose.

"No, you were!" he pushed back. "You really saved the day back there!"

"Yeah," the prideful high-schooler stood upright, placing a finger against her lip, "I guess I really did, huh?"

They chuckled at their personal joke before her tone turned serious, "But all joking aside, Dip, how do we get out of this place?"

"That's easy," he elaborated, "With Bill gone, there's only one thing left to do…"

"And what's that?" She let out a gasp as her hand fell through Dipper's.

_"You have to wake up…"_

Wendy looked over her body as her essence started to become transparent. As she faded away, the redhead offered a parting wave as she disappeared from the dream plane.

"Well," Dipper stuck his hands into his pockets, as he rocked back and forth on his heels, "It'll only be a minute or so before I follow behind." He wiped his moist brow, "I'll glad that's all over with…"

_"Don't be so sure!"_

Dipper gazed over the horizon as the haunting visage of Bill Cipher returned, filling the entire sky with his presence.

"You might have won this time, but don't think for a moment that you can ever defeat me!"

"You're wrong, Bill!" Dipper challenged, "Wendy and I beat you today, and together, we'll overcome anything you can throw at us!"

The singular eye lowered, "That might be true, but tell me, _what happens when you're not together?"_

"What?"

Bill zoomed in to ridicule Dipper face-to-face, "I'm not ignorant of the outside world, kid! I know when summer is over, you two will have to part ways…" The dream imp projected a map of the United States against the backdrop, marking both Gravity Falls and Piedmont with a "X." "The question is that _how will you protect each other when you're hundreds of miles away?_" It pointed down at the stunned Dipper, "There isn't a spell or magic out there that can save your sorry hides from me!"

"We'll find a way!" the youngster remained determined, "We'll _always_ find a way!"

Bill chortled to himself, "Ever so confident, and yet, just as foolish; what makes you think I'd even come after you?"

Dipper grinded his teeth as he started to realize where Bill was going, "All this little exercise did was show me that Gideon _did_ have the right idea. _Your anguish. Her hopelessness_. All of those delicious, horrible feelings and emotions…_I can't wait to do it all over again!"_

The beast could sense Dipper's heart sink into his gut, "Only this time, you'll be unable to stop me from peeling back the layers of dear Wendy's mind. Trust me, pally, _Mom was only the tip of the iceberg!_ Sure, she knows about me, and yeah, she has a near-unlimited drive, but in the end, it won't matter a single bit!"

A new picture was presented to Dipper. He gasped as he spotted Wendy sitting inside of a padded cell, wrapped into a straightjacket, rocking herself back and forth as she sprouted complete and utter gibberish to herself,

"_I'll chip away at her mind piece by piece until I leave her a blubbering mess,_ and you'll be left powerless to stop me. Heck, I'll make you watch every last second in your dreams. You two will come to dread any time you go to shut your eyes!"

Despite the overwhelming fear and panic building up in his psyche, Dipper refused to give in, "I won't let you do this! I will find a way to stop you!"

"Dream on, brat! Just so you take me a bit more seriously, let's just say I offer you a small taste of what's to come; _I already left my mark on your little girlfriend!"_

"What do you mean by that? What did you do to Wendy?!"

"You'll know soon enough…" Bill started to wave good-bye with his tiny hand, "Until next time…"

Suddenly, Dipper felt himself being pulled away from the dream world. He fought futilely against the sensation, as he demanded to understand the threat.

"NO! WAIT! WHAT DID YOU MEAN, BILL?!" A white light flashed before his eyes, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!"

* * *

"Gah!"

Dipper shot up from his sweetheart's bed drenched in cold sweat. Still in a state of panic, his eyes searched around the room, until he spotted his twin sister sitting at his side.

"Dipper!" Mabel jumped up and hugged her sibling. "Are you alright? We were starting to worry when you didn't come back with Wendy…"

"Wendy…" he mumbled, trying to regain his bearings. "Where…where is she?"

Mabel turned her head and pointed towards the hallway, "She got up and went that way."

His body felt numb. His knees were ready to collapse at any second. However, Dipper found the inner strength to pull himself out of bed to hurry to his sweetheart's side.

"Wait a sec!" his sister called after him, "Don't cha want to take a minute to relax? What happened with that triangle guy?"

He couldn't rest; not without knowing that Bill Cipher's last words meant. "Wendy?" No one answered back. Dipper saw the three Corduroy boys in the hall. The three pairs of eyes focused on the exhausted tween before them.

"Dude, are you alright?"

"You look like you were hit by a bus!"

"What happened in there?"

He ignored their questions, "Where did she go?"

The eldest brother pointed at the end of the hall, "Bathroom. Third door on the right…"

Dipper stumbled past them, as his anxiety started to rise, "Wendy?!"

"I'm – I'm in here…"

Upon reached the door, he tapped on it with his knuckles, finding himself surprised as it slowly opened. He saw Wendy staring at the bathroom mirror. Her pajamas were soaking wet. Her long red hair was messy and tangled.

"Are you alright?"

Without taking her eyes off her reflection, she answer, "I – I think so. I mean, I'm super exhausted, but I suppose that's a given with this kinda stuff?"

Dipper let out a huge sigh of relief. Wendy appeared to be in perfect health. "Phew! Yeah, you're telling me! I just wanted to make sure you were okay…"

"Well, it's all over with, right?" She turned to face her boyfriend, "There's nothing left to worry about…"

Upon looking at her, Dipper's jaw dropped as he realized exactly what Bill Cipher was referring to.

A layer of stress-induced bags could be seen beneath both of Wendy's eyes. It looked like she hadn't slept in days! However, Dipper knew better than anyone what kind of marks they were; they were that which came from a life of constant worry, anxiety, and uncontrollable nervousness.

_"She has the exact same blotches that I have under my eyes…" _ It was one thing that he would never have hoped to share with his loved one.

Growing uneasy by his hushed silence, Wendy repeated herself, "I said, there's –there's nothing left to worry about…_right_?"

Bill's warning replayed itself over and over in his mind:

"_I'll chip away at her mind piece by piece until I leave her a blubbering mess,_ _and you'll be left powerless to stop me…"_

Without saying another word, he stepped forward and gripped his mate as tightly as his noodle arms could. "Yeah," he fibbed, "there's nothing to worry about…"

As Wendy returned the favor and snuggled her hero, Dipper kept his eyes wide open as he found himself asking, _"What am I going to do now?"_


	5. Epilogue

**Epilogue – Night of the Final Day**

Wendy and Dipper sat in silence upon the former's secret spot against the slanted roof of the Mystery Shack. The moonlight and starry night supplied ample light, allowing the two to see each other under the shade of darkness. A warm breeze caressed their worn figures. Sitting cross-legged, the two gradually ate the spontaneous picnic Dipper had made a short while earlier as they reflected upon the day's events.

The couple had worked in tandem in order to stop the wicked designs of the dream demon, Bill Cipher, and despite their victory, neither adolescent felt much like celebrating.

Dipper's mind jumped from place to place in an effort to find a solution to a nearly unconquerable predicament. As Wendy recovered from the attack in the dreamscape, the boy detective spent the remainder of the afternoon searching through his treasured Journal #3 in an effort to find a way to keep the cruel imp at bay. His brown eyes grew weary from studying every single note, _with and without the black light_, only to find that no other mention of Bill existed in the tome, except for the Author's initial warning not to summon him in the first place.

_There was no magic defensive spell to be found, no protective ritual to be learned, or even a sort of shielding dream catcher to be built_. In spite of his best efforts, Dipper could not find an assured way to keep his sweetheart safe in his absence.

He looked across the rooftop with a sense of regret and shame at his girlfriend as she continued to pick at her serving; a vast change in behavior for the girl that would normally encourage her mate to race to see who could devour their food the fastest. In the short, few hours since awakening from her nightmare, Dipper could easily notice a severe change in Wendy's demeanor.

The hyper-active, hormonally-charged lumberjack princess of mountain town legend had seemingly vanished. A quiet, more reserved ginger served in her stead. Her slender body appeared to shudder uncontrollably, even with the comfortable weather surrounding her. The once calming background sounds of the natural world made her jump and gasp at every utterance. Occasionally, the fifteen year old would stop and look over her shoulder, _as if she already knew that the real-life boogeyman could whisk her away at any possible moment._

Worse of all, Dipper perceived that the markings under Wendy's green eyes, the never-fading symbol of Bill Cipher's otherworldly reach, had become more detailed. The bags had started to deepen, becoming a shade of blacken-purple contrasting against her pale freckled skin. He reached up and using his fingertips, traced his own indents as his heart sunk further.

_"It isn't right; at least, I did this to myself! She didn't do anything to deserve those awful things…"_

Wendy looked up from her meal to find her beau staring at her with starry eyes. In a panic, she dropped her sandwich and exclaimed, "Oh, no! W-W-What's wrong?! I-Is everything alright?"

Dipper leaned over, holding his hands outwards, "It's okay! It's okay! I was…just thinkin', that's all…"

"About what?"

"Well," he rubbed the back of his head, itching his dark locks as he rushed to come up with an suitable answer, "I was…thinking about how happy I am that you're okay…"

"Oh!" Wendy shrunk back, extremely embarrassed by her sudden outburst, "S-Sorry, Dipper," she apologized. "I – I don't know why I'm so jumpy…"

Dipper reached for her hand, feeling her tremble in his grasp, "Hey, we've been through a lot today." He smiled, trying to maintain a sense of positivity. "I mean, who wouldn't feel the same way?"

"Yeah, I guess…"

It killed the pre-teen to see his favorite redhead so shaken up like this. Bill's threats against Wendy constantly flashed in his mind, leading him to believe that there wasn't any way that she would be able to handle another encounter with the supernatural being, especially since it now knew how to exploit her most delicate secrets.

Dipper's thoughts went back to his studies earlier that day. As he made his way through the torn book, he recalled how all of the misfortunes over the last three days seemed to branch off of one another:

_"Bill wouldn't have even known about Wendy if it wasn't for Gideon. But then, I wouldn't have gone to see him if Wendy wasn't there to encourage me. She was there because I apologized for that scene at Greasy's Diner with Robbie. And that happened because he saw us together in town while running the errands she meant to do the day before, when she got into the accident…"_

He hated even thinking about it. Along with all of the terrible things that had occurred within the same period came what felt like a lifetime of cherished memories that Dipper wouldn't trade for anything in the world: hand-holding, bear-hugs, picnics and campouts, quiet walks and peaceful bike rides, and surprise kisses that turned frowns upside down.

Regardless, Dipper knew something had to be done. After everything that he witnessed in Wendy's dreamscape, he couldn't pretend everything would work itself out. _She was worth too much to leave things up to chance and hope for the best._

And that's what he saw _it_…

It shone in the sun's rays as soon as he turned the page. At the mere sight, a desperate plan started to form in the back of his head. The ultimate nuclear option; it was the definitive solution to an unworkable problem.

However, it would come with a terrible price: while it would promise success against Bill and save Wendy's sanity, it would also destroy everything good that had come to be as well.

He became watery-eyed at the thought. Was this the only way? Why were the fates always plotting against him, leaving him in the center of a near-impossible choice, especially when involving the teenaged dream he loved with all his heart?

As several different voices faded in and out of his sub-consciousness, Dipper could make out that of his portly nemesis as he mocked the boy from behind unbreakable glass:

_"What is truly important to you?"_

Dipper shook his head clear, bringing him back to reality and Wendy waiting on the Mystery Shack rooftop. He had planned this dinner-date as a sort of last hurrah, trying his best to soak in everything in the atmosphere, chalking every last detail to memory. The lad glanced at his wrist-watch, taking note that he only had a few minutes more until he had to bring his plan into fruition.

"W-Why do you keep l-l-looking at your watch?" Wendy asked, forcing a half-smile, "Y-Y-You got a hot date or something?"

He returned the sentiment, burying all of his angst and anxiety beneath his surface, "No way! There's no better place than right here with you…"

She beamed as Dipper cleared his throat, ready to execute his objective, "Listen, I –"

Wendy reached into her flannel shirt and pulled out a shiny object, "H-H-Here, I got this for you…"

Dipper watched as her arm staggered with nervous twitching, She held her hand right over his opened palm, only to have it involuntarily jerk away at the last second, missing her intended goal, sending the gift clattering into the shingles of the roof.

"Oh, man!"

Her boyfriend searched around until his fingers made contact with the unknown object, "I got it! I got it!" Dipper gripped the item and bought it up to his face.

"I was g-g-going to wait until the day you left for h-home," Wendy stuttered, "B-B-But after everything that's happened, I-I-I figured why wait any longer – no time like the present…"

It was a golden circular locket, somewhat aged and dulled. Linked together with a small, matching thin chain, Dipper detected a tiny gap in the right side. He used his fingernail to pry it open, only to gasp out loud at the sight inside.

"Oh – Oh, Wendy…"

Inside of the locket was the selfie picture that they had taken together at sunset at the Gravity Falls Lake the night before. The illusion given by the serene surrounding, making the two seem older and more mature than they really were, would be preserved for all time.

"Do you like it?" Wendy looked away in awkwardness, "It was…_my mother's_. She gave it to me as a child, and always said I should give it to someone I really care about…"

Dipper was left speechless. His eyes grew wet. This wasn't part of the plan. If anything, it only made things even harder for him. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around the girl and squeezed as hard as he could. He was filled with tender warmth as he felt her do the same.

"So, I'll take that as a y-y-yes?"

He pulled back, nodded, and held the heirloom in his hands, "Can I – Can I put it on?"

"Of course, d-dweeb!"

Dipper removed his hat and slid the necklace over his head. The cold steel gave him a slight chill. The circle portion disappeared into his vest.

"N-Now…" Wendy held her green pendant up for him to see, "…we match!"

A gentle beeping went off, forcing Dipper to look back at his wristwatch. He had two minutes left! He had to act now! It was the only way! Her last chance!

The tween let out a sigh. Part of him wished he could have been honest with Wendy about his intentions, but he already knew the truth. There was no way she would have let him go through with it. He would have been reminded that they were best friends, partners-in-crime; truly inseparable despite the odds. She would have told him that she was fine even with her recent physical change; for him to ignore what he could see and focus on what he was being told instead.

After seeing her relentlessly-traumatized state, or more so, how it refused to relent, he knew what he had to do, no matter how much it hurt deep down. He wouldn't accept her living in an edgy, broken state for his sake.

Dipper glanced up at Wendy's eyes as they shone like little jewels in the night sky. He was ready to sacrifice _anything_ he had to in order to guarantee that she would be protected...

"Listen, Wendy," He saw the panic in her face. "Nothing's the matter!" he calmed her. "I just wanted to say something that's been on my mind..."

"O-Okay, go ahead."

He heaved, closing his eyes for a moment, before he began, "Well, I just wanted to say that not counting _all of the recent craziness_, how much the last couple of days meant to me –"

"I feel the same way, Dip, but what –"

"Hang a sec, okay?"

Wendy shook her head, allowing him to continue.

"Anyways, I wanted you to know that even though it sounds cheesy, but to me, all of this time spent with you was like, the best of my entire life…"

Dipper could see that the teenager was starting to tear up as well. He forced himself to continue, knowing that his time was fleeting.

"Despite only being three days, it was everything I had ever hoped for. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful it has been. Better than the best adventure! Greater than the most secretive mystery! It is so much like I imagined it to be that it's almost scary!"

He took her hand once more, "And it's all thanks to you, Wendy. You never judged me the way the rest of the world has. You always accepted me for who and what I am, and more than that, you loved me for it. It's something that I can't even begin to explain how grateful I am to you. It's like a gift I can never repay…"

"Dipper – "

Dipper clutched her hand tighter, "I guess what I'm trying to tell you, is that I _love you, Wendy Corduroy._ And thank you, for loving me, too. And no matter what happens, I wanted you to know that I'll never forget any of this! I'll treasure it always!"

He let go of her and sat up as a wave of sadness quickly triumphed over him. Wendy overcame her shock a second later, "Dipper, that was – I can't even – _I love you, too…"_

She took pause, seeing her cohort's now-depressed state, "But, Dipper –"

The twelve-year-old reached into his vest pocket, taking hold of the key to her salvation.

_"Why does it sound like you're saying good-bye?"_

He pulled out the cracked, halfway-repaired tape measure time machine as he met her eye-to-eye.

_"Because…"_ Dipper pulled back on the tape, _"…I have to…"_

Wendy's eyes widened at the sight. As soon as she spotted the time machine, she immediately realized what he was planning. She lounged towards Dipper as he let go of the tape.

_"No! Wait!"_

Dipper watched as time slowed to a crawl. He raised his head to see Wendy coming towards him, with a distressed expression on her face, before coming to a complete stop; her lips forced out one last message:

_"Please…don't…leave…me…"_

At the sound of the upsetting plea, Dipper's heart was ripped into two. He had finally lost all self-control as he began to sob hysterically, _"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"_ He placed his face against hers, just as they had their first shared night in Wendy's hospital room. His warmed tears melted against her ice-cold ones frozen against her flushed cheeks. "_But I don't know what else to do!"_ He closed his eyes, clipped the measure on his shorts, and used his thumbs to wipe away her remaining teardrops. _"And I remember what you said about life and taking risks. I really do! But your life is worth so much more to me than a stupid risk!"_

Dipper looked around to see that the world around them was starting to turn to an over-exposed white. He knew that he would disappear into the nether within a few moments.

_"I'm doing the right thing…"_ The pre-teen sniffed as he tried to convince himself, _"I'm doing the right thing…"_

He gazed back into Wendy's eyes, forever expressing a look of disappointment and sorrow. Dipper appealed to the unmoving girl, hoping by some sort of miracle, she'd be able to hear him.

_"Please don't hate me for this! Please! I hate this! You'll never know how much I hate this, but this was the only sure way I could think of! You'll be safe; I can promise you'll be truly safe…"_

Still hanging on to Wendy, Dipper tilted upwards and brushed aside the red bangs hanging down from her brown trapper hat. And as his main squeeze had done dozens of times before in the last few days, he delivered his absolute favorite, a soft, but tender kiss to the center of her forehead; a fitting form of final farewell.

Shortly afterwards, Dipper could feel the redhead melt away in his arms as he was pulled into the past. The white light shortly overcame him completely.

_"I'll miss you, Wendy…I really will!"_

Seconds later, the tremendous heat started to grow fainter from his body. Random sound and noise returned to the universe. The blinding light faded away, bringing color back to his still-focusing eyes.

A voice called out for him, _"Dude, how could you already miss me?"_

As his vision returned, Dipper found himself standing before a very confused Wendy Corduroy in the Mystery Shack's Gift Shop. She raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms together.

"I haven't even left for the day yet!"

While struggling to catch his breath, Dipper examined Wendy from head to toe. The accursed bags under her eyes had vanished. Her posture was no longer nerve-wrecked or shaken. Instead, she stood full of strength, confident, and overwhelming charisma. A great weight was lifted from Dipper's shoulders as his Wendy had returned to her old self. The green pendant he had handcrafted for her was no longer found around her neck.

Dipper peeked at the calendar mounted on the wall behind Wendy. He had done it; the makeshift time machine had sent him back three days into the past. The sun setting in the distance was able to tell him that he had arrived just before she had gotten into the car accident with her friends.

"Are – " He wheezed further, "Are you alright?"

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Her concern for her young charge deepened, "Dipper, what's going on? Is something the matter?"

His stomach turned sour and began to churn. He seized his sides as they started to swell up.

"What was that? A side effect of the time travel?"

All of a sudden, the barely functioning tape measure time machine fell from his short pants, shattering into the floor in a million pieces. Dipper dropped to his knees, vertigo overtaking him, as he scooped his fingers through the pile of scrap metal.

_"There's definitely no going back now…"_

"Hey, buddy," Wendy bent down and placed an arm around her fretful friend, "It's cool; I'm sure Soos can help you fix…err…_whatever the heck that thing was_…" Dipper turned to face his crush, transforming her comforting nature into one of concern, "Dip, you're…you're changing colors on me. Kinda getting me worried here…"

The grumbling in the pit of his gut quickly began to feel like knife-like thrusts, making the poor kid nearly keel over in Wendy's arms. Nausea started to mount within him. The taste of bile came up in tiny, unnoticeable burps.

_"What's happening to me? I've never felt like this while time traveling before. Maybe it's because the tape measure wasn't repaired the right way?"_

He could feel something rising at the back of his throat. His cheeks started to become puffed up.

"Dipper! Say something!"

He tried to wiggle out of Wendy's grip, "Let…go..."

"What did you say?"

Left with no other choice, Dipper was forced to push her away, "Let…me…*GURGLE* go!" As Wendy landed on her jeaned bottom, he sprinted out of the Gift Shop and towards the nearest bathroom. He fell to the ground, bowed over the toilet, and retched for what seemed like an eternity…

* * *

"Ohh…"

Dipper opened his eyes and looked to his left and right, only to discover that he was now lying comfortably in his bed in the attic-converted bedroom he shared with his sister. His blue and white pine tree cap hung on the corner post above his head. His black sneakers and vest had been removed and placed neatly on the wooden chair by the desk in the center of the room.

"What happened?" Dipper groaned as he grabbed the side of his head.

"I was hoping you'd tell me…"

He lifted his head to see Wendy leaning one flannelled arm against his doorway. A calmed relief could be seen in her green eyes. "How you feeling, little guy?"

Although he was glad to see her up and about, a sense of gloom clouded his bearing as he was instantly reminded of what he was forced to give up. "Terrible," he replied.

Wendy walked over to the bed and took a seat, "I'll bet. You scared the living daylights out of me! So, what exactly happened? You didn't eat the 'shrooms in the woods, or something like that?"

"No, no!" Dipper denied, trying his best to avoid having any instance of the truth slip out, "I – uh – I think I got myself sick while doing an experiment…"

"Oh, okay then…"

"How did I get up here? I don't even remember what happened after I got to the bathroom…"

"How else do you think?" Wendy used her thumb to point at herself, "I carried you upstairs and put you in bed…"

"You – You did this?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" A surprised look spread about her face, "It wasn't like I was just gonna leave you down there. Besides, I needed to get you outta the way so I could clean up the mess!"

"Oh, man…" he bemoaned, as more was added to Dipper's already-guilty conscience, "I didn't mean to stick you with all that…"

"Don't be, man!" Wendy forgave, "Besides, it was a lot neater that the majority of the messes my brothers leave behind. Heck, I'm just happy you knocked me out of the way in the nick of time."

Dipper shrank back under his blankets, "Sorry about that…"

"Hey, it's better than being barfed on!"

Suddenly, Dipper remembered his current mission, "What – What time is it?"

Wendy pulled back her sleeve to look at her watch, "Well, you've been out for about an hour and a half. The guys came by to pick me up, but I told them I'd hang out here to keep an eye on you, just in case."

"Wait," Dipper interrupted, _"They didn't pick you up?"_ He feigned ignorance, "Were – Were they mad?"

"Nah," Wendy waved her hand, "I told them I'd meet up with them later. We'd just probably – "

A series of tiny chirps started to emit from her jean pocket. She turned away from Dipper and reached for her phone, "Oh, hey! That's probably them right now!"

Dipper twiddled his fingers nervously as he already knew why they were trying to contact her.

Wendy opened her flip phone and started to read her text message. As her green eyes moved downwards, he watched as her freckled face started to become distorted at the sight she had been sent, "Whoa…whoa…WHOA! MAN, OH MAN!"

"What is it?"

She held the phone in his face, "Take a look at this!"

Dipper looked past the shifting images to see the exact same wrecked van he had found his sweetheart trapped in days earlier. He acted surprised by the presentation of twisted metal before him, "Is that Thompson's van? What happened? Is anyone hurt?"

Wendy pulled the phone back and continued to read through the rest of the message. "According to Tambry, everyone is a bit banged up, but they're okay. Just wow! Thompson's mom is so-going to kill him for this!"

As she continued to review the photo, the gingered teenager froze up, as if she was locked into deep thought. "Wendy?" Dipper asked. "Did something else happen?"

His voice brought her back to life, "Hmm? No, it's not that. It's just…_I had a real crazy thought…_" She turned to face the bed-ridden boy, "If you didn't get sick earlier, _I would be in the middle of that wreck along with those guys._ And then, what would have happened…?"

Dipper attempted to steer the conversation in another direction, "Maybe you shouldn't think like that…"

"But, what if, Dipper? A person can go crazy thinking about that stuff…"

"Don't I know it…?"

She smiled at her friend, "You know, it's kind of funny. _Even when you're not trying, you still find a way to keep me out of trouble, don't you? It's like you got some mad guardian angel/good luck charm genes going on!"_

Dipper forced a laugh in an effort to sway any suspicion away from him. "Hehe…imagine that…"

Wendy rose to her feet and leaned over to rub his thick brown hair with affection, _"And that's why you'll always be "my boy!"_

Feeling as if the fates that offered him some sort of mere consolidation prize, Dipper fought against the uprising tears and produced a grin for Wendy's sake.

"I…I know…"

Sensing that he wasn't at 100% just yet, Wendy walked towards the exit, "Why don't you get some shut-eye, and we'll catch up later?"

"Sounds good…"

Just as the redhead was about to head out the door, Dipper called out for her one last time,

"Hey, Wendy?"

She stuck her head back inside the room, "Hmm…?"

He met her eye-to-eye, despite every instinct wanting him to turn away, "I just wanted to thank you again…_for everything_."

Wendy dipped her head in response, "Don't mention it, buddy. After all, _if everything was reversed, I know you'd do the same for me…"_

The twelve-year-old was almost left flabbergasted by her response, fully aware of the parallel lines that were being drawn between the different realities. He answered her in the best, yet most honest way he could:

_"You bet your life on it…"_

Wendy's smile broadened as she closed the door behind her. Dipper could make out the sounds of the lumberjack's boots as they faded into the distance. As soon as he knew Wendy was out of hearing range, the heartbroken boy covered his eyes and silently wept. He had succeeded in his cause; Wendy was safe and sound, and yet, there was still a lingering in his soul as he reflected on everything he had to give up to make it happen.

As he wiped away his tears, Dipper asked if he was being selfish in his thoughts. It was without saying that he would always cherish the fact that he and Wendy were best friends, but at the same time, it wouldn't be close to what they had previously had. The odds were nearly astrological in the chances of being able to regain the same type of connection ever again.

_"I did the right thing..._" He repeated his mantra over and over, "_I did the right thing..."_

Feeling depressed and emotionally drained, Dipper pulled up his comforter, only to have his hand brush up against something solid. Baffled, he lifted the blanket up to see a hard lump sticking out of his chest from behind his orange shirt.

"What in the – "

Dipper reached into the top of the shirt and pulled out the object. His eyes became saucers as his lower lip quivered in astonishment.

In the palm of his hand was the golden locket that Wendy had given him in the other timeline. Somehow, he had carried it back into this reality. Still in a state of disbelief, he pried open the treasure and peered at the picture posted on the inside. The faux-portraits of the happy couple, an open window to the world Dipper so desperately missed, offered him a much-needed amount of solace.

With his eyes left blurry by the tiny miracle, Dipper closed the locket, and held it close to his heart. He cried himself to sleep, hoping that in his dreams, he would be able to find that special place that they had shared, where he would be forever hers, and she would always be his…

_January 23th, 2015 – March 30__th__, 2015_

* * *

_Special thanks to:_

_-Markmak for his infinite wisdom._

_-ASofterGravityFalls/Avril-Circus/Steggmatt/Roboptables/SuperGroverAway/RySenkari for inspiration._

_-MontyDragon for the art piece._


End file.
